Friday, January 9
7:00 pm (PT)
UCLA
vs
No. 15 McKendree
No. 1 UCLA Opens 2026 Season Friday Hosting No. 15 McKendree
January 08, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
NO. 1 UCLA HOSTS No. 15 McKENDREE AND CONCORDIA TO OPEN 2026 SEASON
The UCLA men's volleyball program, winners of 21 NCAA titles, hosts McKendree and Concordia this weekend to open the 2026 season. The Bruins will play McKendree at 7 pm PT inside Pauley Pavilion on Friday evening before hosting Concordia at 5 pm PT on Sunday evening.
2025 IN REVIEW
THE BRUINS JUST WIN
UCLA enters the 2026 season having won at least 22 matches over each of the last four seasons. Throughout those four seasons UCLA has a record of 101-21 (.849 winning percentage), have won two NCAA titles, made three NCAA title matches, and won five MPSF titles.
TOP OF THE CLASS
UCLA enters the 2026 season having won 44 of their last 48 MPSF matches dating back to the 2022 season. UCLA's MPSF records over that timeframe are 10-2 in 2025, 11-1 in 2024, 12-0 in 2023, and 11-1 in 2022. The Bruins' winning percentage over that span is .917.
UCLA PICKED FIRST IN AVCA PRESEASON POLL
UCLA men's volleyball was ranked first in the Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll, earning 12 first-place votes. Hawai'i was picked second and received seven first-place votes, while Long Beach State took third, Pepperdine fourth, and USC rounded out the top five.
BRUINS PICKED TO REPEAT AS MPSF CHAMPS
UCLA was picked to win a fifth-straight regular-season conference title in the 2026 MPSF Men's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' poll, collecting 75 points and four of the 10 first-place votes. USC and Pepperdine finished tied for second in the preseason poll, while Stanford and BYU rounded out the top five in the standings.
BRU-CREW RETURNING
11 UCLA student-athletes return to Westwood following their 2025 NCAA title appearance campaign, and seven Bruins return boasting NCAA Championship-winning experience.
WELCOME TO WESTWOOD
The UCLA men's volleyball program, winners of 21 NCAA titles, hosts McKendree and Concordia this weekend to open the 2026 season. The Bruins will play McKendree at 7 pm PT inside Pauley Pavilion on Friday evening before hosting Concordia at 5 pm PT on Sunday evening.
2025 IN REVIEW
- The Bruins earned their third straight NCAA Championship final appearance and their fourth final four in a row
- Cooper Robinson was named MPSF Player of the Year in his senior season
- Four Bruins were named AVCA All-Americans
- UCLA returns three All-Americans in setter Andrew Rowan (1st team), middle blocker Cameron Thorne (1st team), and outside hitter Zach Rama (2nd team)
- UCLA finished the season 22-7 and 10-2 in MPSF play and finished top of the standings during the MPSF regular season for the fifth year in a row
- The Bruins finished in the top five in the country in multiple categories during the 2025 season. UCLA was second in the country in hitting percentage at .364 and were fourth in the country in aces per set with 1.93.
- At the conclusion of the 2025 season head coach John Hawks and rising sophomore Sean Kelly represented the United States at the U21 World Championships held in China. The trio of Bruin then earned bronze on the world stage, becoming the first USA youth national team to medal at a world championships.
THE BRUINS JUST WIN
UCLA enters the 2026 season having won at least 22 matches over each of the last four seasons. Throughout those four seasons UCLA has a record of 101-21 (.849 winning percentage), have won two NCAA titles, made three NCAA title matches, and won five MPSF titles.
TOP OF THE CLASS
UCLA enters the 2026 season having won 44 of their last 48 MPSF matches dating back to the 2022 season. UCLA's MPSF records over that timeframe are 10-2 in 2025, 11-1 in 2024, 12-0 in 2023, and 11-1 in 2022. The Bruins' winning percentage over that span is .917.
UCLA PICKED FIRST IN AVCA PRESEASON POLL
UCLA men's volleyball was ranked first in the Preseason AVCA Coaches Poll, earning 12 first-place votes. Hawai'i was picked second and received seven first-place votes, while Long Beach State took third, Pepperdine fourth, and USC rounded out the top five.
BRUINS PICKED TO REPEAT AS MPSF CHAMPS
UCLA was picked to win a fifth-straight regular-season conference title in the 2026 MPSF Men's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' poll, collecting 75 points and four of the 10 first-place votes. USC and Pepperdine finished tied for second in the preseason poll, while Stanford and BYU rounded out the top five in the standings.
BRU-CREW RETURNING
11 UCLA student-athletes return to Westwood following their 2025 NCAA title appearance campaign, and seven Bruins return boasting NCAA Championship-winning experience.
- Andrew Rowan, Senior, Setter: Saw action in 27 matches ... AVCA first-team All-America selection ... MPSF first-team ... led the Bruin offense to a .364 hitting percentage, which was the second best nationally … his 10.08 assists per set mark was tops in the MPSF and 13th nationally … Directed the Bruins offense to a hitting percentage of .300 or better 25 times, and .400 or better 11 times … paced the Bruins offense to a season-high .535 hitting percentage in a four set win at UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 28 … Had 33 aces on the year, good for second on the team … Had at least one kill in 21 matches, and had a season-high five kills against BYU on April 12 … Had multiple aces in six different matches and tallied a season-high three aces in both matches against BYU and in UCLA's five set win at home over USC on April 17 … Had 30 or more assists in 23 matches, had 40 or more assists in 12 matches, and had 50 or more assists on two occasions … In UCLA's five-set win over BYU on April 11, had a season-high 44 assists … Had 109 digs on the year with a season-high 10 at Pepperdine on March 29.
- Zach Rama, Senior, Outside Hitter: Earned second team AVCA All-America honors … Named first team MPSF All-Conference honors … Saw action in 27 matches and made 27 starts … Played at both outside hitter and opposite throughout the year … Tallied the second most kills on the squad with 319 kills and hit .318 on the year … Added 99 digs, 32 service aces, and 60 blocks (5 solo blocks, 55 block assists) on the year … Recorded double-digit kills in 20 of 27 appearances throughout the season … Had seven matches with 15 or more kills … Recorded a season-high 21 kills in UCLA's four-set match against Ohio State on Jan. 18 … Had a 10-match streak of double-digit kills dating from April 4 to May 10 when UCLA took down Hawai'i in the NCAA semifinal match … Had a season-high five service aces in UCLA's four-set win over UC San Diego on Jan. 23 … Recorded 12 kills and a season-high five blocks in UCLA's four set win over BYU on April 12.
- Cameron Thorne, Senior, Middle Blocker: Saw action in 28 matches … Ryan Millar Award Winner … Dain Blanton Diversity Award Winner … AVCA First Team All-America selection … MPSF first-team honoree … AVCA Player of the Week (week of Feb. 24, 2025) … Hit .521 on the season with 201 kills and 303 attack attempts (43 errors) … His .521 hitting percentage ranks fifth all-time in single-season hitting percentage … Tallied double-digit kills on six occasions … Had a career-high 17 kills in UCLA's five set win over No. 3 UC Irvine in Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 22 … Also added 15 sets in the match at UCI Irvine three nights earlier on Feb. 19 in a three-set win over the Anteaters … Defensively tallied a team-high 103 blocks, and 13 solo blocks … His 1.06 blocks per set ranks 10th nationally … Had at least four total blocks or more 16 times … Recorded a career-high seven block assists twice during the 2025 season; at CSUN (Jan. 24) and against Stanford (March 7).
- Sean Kelly, Sophomore, Outside Hitter: Played in 24 matches, making 14 starts in 2025 … Earned MPSF honorable mention and all-freshman team honors … Recorded 142 kills on 316 swings to hit .323 on the season … His hitting percentage of .323 put him 27th nationally for the year … Recorded 17 service aces, 35 total blocks (two solo blocks, 33 block assists) and 67 digs … Recorded double digit kills in nine matches, and had a season-high 13 kills three times in 2025, including in the NCAA Semifinal three set win over Hawai'i … Had 13 kills in UCLA's five-set win over USC on April 17 … Hit a season-high .615 and had eight kills in UCLA's three set win over Pepperdine on March 27 … Recorded 17 service aces on the year, and had a season-high three service aces against Pepperdine in the MPSF semifinals on April 25 … Recorded 67 digs on the year and had a season-high eight digs twice, at GCU on April 5, and vs. Hawai'i on May 10 in the NCAA semifinal … Recorded 35 blocks on the year (two solo blocks, 33 block assists) and had a season-high four block assists in the Bruins five-set win over BYU on April 11.
WELCOME TO WESTWOOD
- Brogan Glenn, Freshman, Libero: Played boys' volleyball at Corona Del Mar HS in Newport Beach, California … named to Volleyballmag.com's Fab 50 list … was named to the All-CIF high school team and earned all-league honors throughout his time at Corona Del Mar … Played for Balboa Bay Volleyball Club and was named an AAU All-American and won the AAU Championship in 2025.
- Filippos Chrysostomou, Freshman, Outside Hitter: a 6'6" outside hitter from Larnaca, Cyprus ... Recorded a decorated club career in his native Cyprus before heading to UCLA … Earned four national championships with his club team, Leontas Livadion, and was named best Cypriot volleyball teenager on four separate occasions.
- Grayson Bradford, Freshman, Outside Hitter: A 6'10" outside hitter from Manhattan Beach, CA ... Played at Mira Costa High School as a senior in 2025 where he was named an All-American and AVCA Boys High School Player of the Year in 2025 … Was named first team All-CIF and the Bay League MVP in 2025 … Helped lead Mira Costa to a 37-2 overall record in 2025, a 20-0 home record, and the CIF Division 1 state championship ... named to Volleyballmag.com's Fab 50 list ... Also named All-American in 2024 and 2022 at Crespi high school in 2024 and Royal HS as a freshman in 2022 ... Played club volleyball for Manhattan Beach Surf ... Took part in the U21 training camp in Anaheim during the summer of 2025.
- Rafael Urbina, Freshman, Setter: a 6'4" setter from Broomfield, Colorado ... Had a decorated high school career before coming to UCLA from Legacy High School in Broomfield, Colorado, in the fall of 2025 … Was a two-time All-State first team selection in 2024 and 2025, a first-team All-Conference selection in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 … Earned setter of the conference honors in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 … Was named 20205 Colorado High School Player of the Year ... Played for both Bay to Bay volleyball club and Lobos volleyball club ... Was a part of the Team USA roster that took part in the U-19 2024 NORCECA Continental Championships, where he earned a gold medal with Team USA and was named best setter of the tournament … Also represented the United States at the 2025 U19 World Championships held in Uzbekistan.
- Marek Turner, Freshman, Outside Hitter: A 6'3" outside hitter from Long Beach, California ... Played four year at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California … Was a first-team all-league selection all four years (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) … Earned All-CIF honors all four years … Named Press Telegram Player of the Year in 2025 … Academically was a academic honor roll honoree all four years of high school ... Played for Team Rockstar volleyball club ... Took part in both the U19 Team USA and U21 programs throughout high school … Helped the USA U21 team earn gold at the NORCECA Continental Championships during the summer of 2025.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's VolleyballHighlights - No. 1 UCLA M. Volleyball vs. Concordia (Jan. 11, 2026)
Monday, January 12
Highlights - No. 1 UCLA M. Volleyball vs. No. 15 McKendree (Jan. 9, 2026)
Saturday, January 10
Highlights - Men's Volleyball vs. Hawai'i, NCAA Semifinals (May 10, 2025)
Sunday, May 11
Highlights - Men's Volleyball vs. Belmont Abbey, NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals (May 8, 2025)
Thursday, May 08