No. 1 UCLA Takes Down No. 5 USC in Five Sets, Improves to 15-0

Tuesday, March 3

Los Angeles, CA

7:00 pm (PT)

UCLA

15-0,4-0MPSF

No. 5 USC

8-2,1-1MPSF

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
UCLA	21	25	22	30	15	3
Southern California	25	23	25	28	9	2

No. 1 UCLA Takes Down No. 5 USC in Five Sets, Improves to 15-0

March 03, 2026 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men's volleyball program earned a comeback win in five sets, 3-2, in a MPSF conference match at No. 5 USC inside the Galen Center on the campus of USC. Set scores were 21-25, 25-23, 22-25, 30-28, 15-9.

With the win, the Bruins improve to 15-0 on the season, their best start to a season since UCLA started 16-0 in 1998.

Four Bruins finished in double figures on Tuesday night. Sean Kelly led the way with a career-high 21 kills, while Zach Rama added 15, and David Decker and Cameron Thorne tallied 11 each.

Senior setter Andrew Rowan recorded 59 assists, while libero Chris Connelly recorded a third straight double-digit digs night with 12.

The Bruins (15-0, 4-0 MPSF)) limited the Trojans (8-2, 1-1 MPSF) to a .286 hitting percentage on the night

After falling behind two sets to one, the Bruins battled back and won the fourth set 30-28, and then took a 5-0 lead to start the fifth and final set. During that opening 5-0 run Rowan recorded his second ace of the night.

UCLA extended its fifth-set advantage to 9-5 when Rama hammered home a kill. The Bruins then took a 12-6 lead when Kelly tallied his 20th kill of the night. The sophomore then earned the Bruins the set and the match, 15-9, when he attacked out of the back row to earn the win, 3-2.

To get to the fifth set the Bruins had to fight their way through the fourth set. After taking a 20-15 advantage midway through the set, USC fought its way back to tie the set at 23-23.

UCLA fended off two match points for the Trojans, at 26-27, and 27-28, before rattling off three-straight points to take the set, 30-28. During that 3-0 run, Kelly recorded a kill and a solo block, before Thorne tallied another solo block to give the Bruins the set, 30-28.

USC took the opening set 25-21, before the Bruins bounced back in set two. After falling behind 5-7, UCLA took five of the next eight points, tying the set at 10-10, courtesy of a Rama kill.

Decker then put UCLA up 17-14, before the Trojans tied it up at 19-19. Decker then put the Bruins in front again, 20-19. USC tied the set at 22-22, before the Bruins rattled off three of the next four points to take the second set, 25-23.

UCLA dropped the third set, 22-25, to take a two sets to one lead, before the Bruins earned the win by taking the final two sets.

Up Next: UCLA returns to Pauley Pavilion to host No. 5 USC on Friday evening. First serve is set for 7:00 pm PT and the match will be broadcast on B1G+.