This post was updated May 2 at 9:55 p.m.

From playing on the beaches of Orange County to representing his nation at the Pan-American Cup, Andrew Rowan always knew he would be a Bruin.

Contributing to a star-studded and storyline-filled UCLA men’s volleyball team, the freshman setter would go from humble beginnings on the bench to coach John Speraw’s star playmaker.

But prior to his breakthrough in the sport in high school, the 2023 MPSF All-Tournament setter had his eyes set on another sport.

“Being from Southern California, we had all these volleyball clubs around,” Rowan said. “But I was a football guy, and then I got a concussion. My dad said, ‘Hey, I want you to try volleyball.'”

Growing up within the volleyball culture of southern Orange County, Rowan joined Orange Coast Volleyball Club. UCLA’s new signal-caller credited his interest and development in volleyball to current club director Jim Kearney and coach Miguel Monterola.

Transitioning from club volleyball into high school, Rowan underwent some off-the-court changes to his game. While traditionally a setter, the makeup of his high school roster and Rowan’s skillset necessitated a move to outside hitter.

As he continued to evolve his game, Rowan continued to pursue volleyball and rise through the ranks of other high school prospects while being geared toward a singular vision: attending UCLA.

“I knew I wanted to go to UCLA since I was 12,” Rowan said. “I remember coming to one of the games and thinking, ‘This is the greatest school. This is the greatest sport. This is just awesome.’ That’s been my dream my whole career.”

Rowan’s recruitment journey to Westwood was painted both by his personal dream and the interest of the blue and gold’s coaching staff.

Brandon Taliaferro, the Bruins’ setting coach, had a connection with Rowan since the latter’s high school days because his son also attended JSerra Catholic High School and played on the same team.

“I met Andrew through his high school team and at the time he committed to UCLA, so I was very intrigued and wanted to watch him play,” Taliaferro said. “He was the superstar on the team.”

Taliaferro stressed both Rowan’s on-court IQ and talent and also his strong personality, character and leadership qualities when interacting with teammates on and off the court.

Rowan’s maturity coming out of high school also caught Speraw’s attention. Speraw, who has coached at UCLA since 2013, believed Rowan possessed the characteristics of a Bruin right from their first meeting.

“He’s a leader, great teammate, competitor – he’s a winner,” Speraw said. “Those are the ones that jump out at you. I knew from an intangibles perspective that he was exactly what we were looking for.”

It didn’t take long for Rowan to decide to commit to UCLA and make his childhood dreams a reality. But it would just be the first step of a long and chaotic journey awaiting him in his freshman campaign.

At the start of 2023, Rowan did not have much of a role within Speraw’s lineup, playing as a backup setter to junior setter/opposite Miles Partain, the 2022 MPSF Player of the Year and a First-Team AVCA All-American. His first significant match would come against UC San Diego, where he would notch 35 assists to lead UCLA to a sweep.

Across subsequent matches, Rowan and Partain would split time on the court, with the former eventually taking the lion’s share of the plays.

Rowan’s growing role on the roster, along with Partain’s academic ambitions to complete his degree, eventually led to the latter leaving the team in February, just after the blue and gold’s first loss of the season against Penn State. Partain’s departure left a void within the lineup that Rowan was already being prepared to fill.

“In the moment, it was everyone saying to me, ‘It’s all on you now,'” Rowan said. “So there was definitely a sense of pressure, but I love that. It was obviously sad to see Miles go. I was learning from him, and he was great to me.”

With his newfound role, Rowan would remain the team’s primary setter throughout the rest of the season, putting up a total of 995 assists. The freshman also led the team behind the service line, tallying a team-high 49 aces.

Through all the roster tumult, the Bruins would go on an 18-1 run across the rest of the regular season, only dropping one match to Hawai’i. For Rowan, the high point of the campaign came when the team rallied to beat Penn State during the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational to avoid a reverse sweep.

During the team’s rematch victory against Penn State, Rowan played a pivotal role on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, leading the team in digs for the match at 10.

At various times throughout the season, UCLA found itself on the back foot. Whether the team was down in the set count or engaged in a tight battle to win a frame, there was a consistent pressure to perform and come out on top of a difficult situation. When those moments came, Rowan rose to the occasion.

“He has the capacity to play clutch volleyball,” Speraw said. “He has confidence. He’s ready to go and compete. He loves it.”

Rowan and the rest of the squad showed their capacity to compete last week, when they blazed through the conference tournament without dropping a set. Rowan, who was named the MPSF Freshman of the Year prior to the tournament, once more showcased his ability to perform when it matters most.

Going into his first NCAA tournament run with the blue and gold, it remains to be seen whether or not Rowan can help the team achieve the national title it was in reach of just last season.

No matter what happens, his coaches are confident in Rowan’s ability, character and potential.

“He is going to be one of, if not the best, setter to ever come out of UCLA,” Taliaferro said. “He is head and shoulders above most freshmen his age, so come and watch him – he’s pretty dang good.”