Saturday, January 17
Phoenix, Ariz.
6:00 pm (PT)
UCLA
3-0,1-0MPSF
3
vs
1
No. 16 Ball State
3-1,0-0MIVA
1
2
3
4
F
Ball St.
25
24
24
20
1
UCLA
22
26
26
25
3
Decker Leads No. 1 UCLA Past No. 16 Ball State, 3-1
January 17, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
PHOENIX, Ariz. โ David Decker led the No. 1 Bruins to a four-set win over No. 16 Ball State on day one of the First Point Collegiate Challenge. Decker finished the night with a career-high 22 kills as the Bruins took down the Cardinals 3-1.
The Bruins (3-0, 1-0 MPSF), had four players finish in double figures in scoring. Decker led the way his 22 kills and hit .621 on the night, while Zach Rama added 17 kills, Sean Kelly contributed 14 kills, and middle blocker Cameron Thorne tallied 10 kills.
Senior setter Andrew Rowan paced the Bruin offense to a .473 hitting percentage in the match and recorded a game-high 53 assists. He also led the team in digs with six.
Ball State (3-1, 0-0 MIVA) hit .358 on the night, as Patrick Rodgers recorded a team-high 18 kills.
After Ball State took a 3-1 lead, the Bruins stormed back to take a 7-5 lead courtesy of Rama who tallied two kills in a row to help the Bruins re-establish the lead. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Ball State responded with a 4-0 run to take a 9-7 lead before Kelly ended the rally with a point off the Ball State block, before Decker tied the set at 9-9 on the next point.
The two sides battled point for point, as Decker tied the set at 16-16, before Ball State took an 18-16 lead off a Bruin service error. Ball State then extended the lead to 22-18 after a service ace.
With Ball State up 24-20, the Cardinals tallied a service error, before Decker served an ace to make it 24-22. Ball State then went off the Bruin block to take the opening set, 25-22.
Ball State opened up a 7-5 advantage off a service ace. The Cardinals then pushed their advantage to 10-7 before Decker slammed home a kill to make it 10-8. The Bruins trailed 13-10 before a Decker kill, Kelly kill and a Ball State error tied the set at 13-13.
Decker's ninth kill of the night pushed the Bruins within one, 18-17, which was followed by a Rama kill to retie the set, 18-18. Ball State then took a 24-23 lead before Rama forced a deuce at 24-24 with sixth kill of the night.
Trent Taliaferro then put pressure on Ball State from the service line, forcing an attack error to put the Bruins up 25-24. Thorne and Rowan then blocked the next Ball State attack to give the Bruins set two, 26-24.
In the third set Ball State opened up a 7-4 advantage, forcing a Bruin timeout. The Bruins responded out of the timeout, with a Thorne block, Decker ace, Rama kill, and a Decker kill to take an 8-7 lead courtesy of a 4-0 run.
After falling behind 11-9, UCLA tied the set at 11-11 with a roll shot from Rama. The sides traded points from there, as a kill from Thorne through the middle made it 15-15. Ball State took a 22-20 lead before two kills by Decker made it 22-22. Taliaferro came in again to serve and forced a Ball State overpass, which allowed Rowan to find Decker for a third time, giving UCLA a 23-22 advantage in the set.
Ball State tied it at 23-23 before another Decker kill made it set point for the Bruins. Ball State forced a deuce, before Decker made it 25-24 UCLA. On the next point, Kelly served an ace to take the third set 26-24.
Decker finished the third set with eight kills on nine swings.
As for the fourth set, the two sides traded points and were tied at 7-7 before two Rama kills pushed the Bruins in front, 9-7. Decker then put the Bruins ahead 11-8 after a long rally, and Kelly supplied another to push the Bruins up four, 12-8.
ย The Bruins stretched the lead to six, 16-10, courtesy of an attack error from the Cardinals. Rowan then put UCLA up 17-11 with a dump over the net.
Thorne put the Bruins up 20-15, before the Bruins took the final set 25-20.
Up Next: UCLA will take on No. 6 Loyola Chicago on Sunday. First serve is set for 6 pm PT and the match will be broadcast on ESPNU.
ย
The Bruins (3-0, 1-0 MPSF), had four players finish in double figures in scoring. Decker led the way his 22 kills and hit .621 on the night, while Zach Rama added 17 kills, Sean Kelly contributed 14 kills, and middle blocker Cameron Thorne tallied 10 kills.
Senior setter Andrew Rowan paced the Bruin offense to a .473 hitting percentage in the match and recorded a game-high 53 assists. He also led the team in digs with six.
Ball State (3-1, 0-0 MIVA) hit .358 on the night, as Patrick Rodgers recorded a team-high 18 kills.
After Ball State took a 3-1 lead, the Bruins stormed back to take a 7-5 lead courtesy of Rama who tallied two kills in a row to help the Bruins re-establish the lead. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Ball State responded with a 4-0 run to take a 9-7 lead before Kelly ended the rally with a point off the Ball State block, before Decker tied the set at 9-9 on the next point.
The two sides battled point for point, as Decker tied the set at 16-16, before Ball State took an 18-16 lead off a Bruin service error. Ball State then extended the lead to 22-18 after a service ace.
With Ball State up 24-20, the Cardinals tallied a service error, before Decker served an ace to make it 24-22. Ball State then went off the Bruin block to take the opening set, 25-22.
Ball State opened up a 7-5 advantage off a service ace. The Cardinals then pushed their advantage to 10-7 before Decker slammed home a kill to make it 10-8. The Bruins trailed 13-10 before a Decker kill, Kelly kill and a Ball State error tied the set at 13-13.
Decker's ninth kill of the night pushed the Bruins within one, 18-17, which was followed by a Rama kill to retie the set, 18-18. Ball State then took a 24-23 lead before Rama forced a deuce at 24-24 with sixth kill of the night.
Trent Taliaferro then put pressure on Ball State from the service line, forcing an attack error to put the Bruins up 25-24. Thorne and Rowan then blocked the next Ball State attack to give the Bruins set two, 26-24.
In the third set Ball State opened up a 7-4 advantage, forcing a Bruin timeout. The Bruins responded out of the timeout, with a Thorne block, Decker ace, Rama kill, and a Decker kill to take an 8-7 lead courtesy of a 4-0 run.
After falling behind 11-9, UCLA tied the set at 11-11 with a roll shot from Rama. The sides traded points from there, as a kill from Thorne through the middle made it 15-15. Ball State took a 22-20 lead before two kills by Decker made it 22-22. Taliaferro came in again to serve and forced a Ball State overpass, which allowed Rowan to find Decker for a third time, giving UCLA a 23-22 advantage in the set.
Ball State tied it at 23-23 before another Decker kill made it set point for the Bruins. Ball State forced a deuce, before Decker made it 25-24 UCLA. On the next point, Kelly served an ace to take the third set 26-24.
Decker finished the third set with eight kills on nine swings.
As for the fourth set, the two sides traded points and were tied at 7-7 before two Rama kills pushed the Bruins in front, 9-7. Decker then put the Bruins ahead 11-8 after a long rally, and Kelly supplied another to push the Bruins up four, 12-8.
ย The Bruins stretched the lead to six, 16-10, courtesy of an attack error from the Cardinals. Rowan then put UCLA up 17-11 with a dump over the net.
Thorne put the Bruins up 20-15, before the Bruins took the final set 25-20.
Up Next: UCLA will take on No. 6 Loyola Chicago on Sunday. First serve is set for 6 pm PT and the match will be broadcast on ESPNU.
ย
Team Stats
BSU
UCLA
Kills
50
66
Errors
16
13
Attempts
95
112
Hitting %
.358
.473
Points
65.0
75.5
Assists
48
63
Aces
8
4
Blocks
7
5.5
Game Leaders
Kills
22
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
Opp
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