Amy’s Angle: Zach Rama’s talent is promising for UCLA men’s volleyball’s future
Zach Rama goes up for a block. Subbed in off the bench with the score tied one-to-one in UCLA’s loss to Hawai’i, the freshman outside hitter stumbled in the third set but dominated in the fourth, showcasing sparks of talent that could turn the tide for the Bruins come May. (Amelie Ionescu/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Amelie Ionescu
March 13, 2023 7:36 p.m.
This post was updated March 14 at 9:18 p.m.
Tied one set to one in the biggest collegiate volleyball match of the season in front of a crowd of more than 10,000, Zach Rama crept off the bench and onto the floor for UCLA.
He never looked back.
And despite UCLA men’s volleyball’s loss to Hawai’i and drop to No. 3 in the rankings, the freshman outside hitter cemented himself as one of the team’s keys to postseason success on Saturday.
[Related: Distinguished freshman Zach Rama and Andrew Rowan to join UCLA men’s volleyball]
Thrust into the action after four straight attack errors from the Bruins, Rama took the late-game lineup change in stride. The freshman served up a 3-0 run several points later to kick off a comeback that featured three kills and tied the score at 20-all before Hawai’i stole the set. Despite a breakout game, Rama’s inexperience entering in a high-pressure environment for the first time resulted in him missing a free ball kill late in the slate alongside notching several serve receive errors and a poor passing performance through the third frame.
However, he didn’t let that deter him.
Rama matched and exceeded his teammates’ kill totals in the fourth frame. Hitting at a .526 clip across the night, the Phoenix native sent home nine of the Bruins’ 17 kills that set. Rama changed the trajectory of the match. And he is still just a freshman.
Mirroring fellow freshman Andrew Rowan – who had his top-five debut as the starting setter in the Bruins’ first loss to Penn State – Rama had his top-three debut Saturday. If the bracket goes chalk when May hits, the Rainbow Warriors may be on the receiving end of Rama’s hot hand once again. And with the experience he now boasts, the result may end up significantly different.
While Rama is only one piece of the puzzle, he’s a glimpse of the promise UCLA holds.
In their last two top-three matchups, the Bruins have held the opposition’s strongest player to hit at negative and sub-.150 clips on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. To avenge its first loss of the season, the team came together to limit Penn State X-Factor Cal Fisher to a -.167 hitting percentage, prompting coach Mark Pavlik to pull the opposite.
The Bruins blemished their perfect record on Feb. 4 when they shattered their nine-game win streak with a loss to the Nittany Lions. The Outrigger Volleyball Invitational proved that match an anomaly as Rowan led the squad to a five-set victory over now-No. 2 Penn State on Thursday.
[Related: Amy’s Angle: Amid roster tumult, Andrew Rowan promises stability for UCLA men’s volleyball]
Thrust into the role of starting setter upon the departure of junior Miles Partain, the freshman stumbled in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania but recovered the next week in Southern California, sweeping both conference and national player of the week awards and proving himself able to handle top-ranked opposition. Rama and UCLA did the same Saturday night.
UCLA learned from its mistakes in allowing Fisher 15 kills in Febuary. UCLA kept pressure on a dominant Hawai’i squad that has taken home back-to-back national championships and is cruising at the No. 1 spot for 11 straight weeks. UCLA lost by a combined total of seven points, with two sets going into overtime.
UCLA has the ability and drive to succeed.
The blue and gold has proven a dominant force on the court, sweeping as many matches as total sets dropped. Earning 13 of its wins in three frames, UCLA has defeated 19 ranked and unranked opponents through the season to maintain a perfect home and neutral site record and holds the top-ranked spot in terms of RPI.
Bouncing back from a reverse sweep against Long Beach State in last year’s NCAA semifinals, UCLA came into 2023’s regular season matches firing on all cylinders, conceding just one set in back-to-back victories over the then-No. 2 team on Feb. 9 and 10.
Talent simmers under the surface of every player from sophomore outside hitter/opposite Ido David – who recorded his fifth 20-plus-point game of the season Saturday – to Rama and Rowan. And it’s up to coach John Speraw to configure the right way to unleash it.
On May 3, Speraw substituted Sam Burgi off the bench to clinch the quarterfinal match against Pepperdine in last year’s NCAA tournament.
Rama has already shown more promise than the then-redshirt junior outside hitter.
And if UCLA needs that spark off the bench in the postseason again, the freshman will deliver.
