How UCLA men’s volleyball’s culture of brotherhood won it a national championship
UCLA men’s volleyball players cheer after winning a point. The Bruins’ camraderie has granted them their best season in decades. (Ethan Manafi/Daily Bruin staff)
By Ira Gorawara
May 9, 2023 11:08 p.m.
There was more than just tireless dedication and intensive training behind bringing national title No. 121 to Westwood.
Off-court team dynamics aren’t always cohesive, but that wasn’t a problem for this year’s Bruins.
No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (31-2, 12-0 MPSF) won its first NCAA championship in 17 years as it completed its winningest season since 2006.
As redshirt senior middle blocker J.R. Norris IV said, this year’s Bruins reached unparalleled heights of cohesiveness.
“The biggest change I’ve noticed in my first year to my last year is the team dynamic with one another,” Norris said. “In my first couple of years, we were very good with one another on the court, but after practices or even when we would travel, there wouldn’t be much interaction with one another off the court.”
The change in culture ultimately translated to the court, as UCLA improved a plethora of statistics from last season.
The Bruins led the nation in striking at an average .383 clip this season compared to last year’s .373 mark and garnered 1.96 service aces per set this year – good for third in the nation – in contrast to just 1.41 last season.
According to junior outside hitter Ethan Champlin, off-court synergy proved critical to on-court success.
“Our team is really playing as a unit right now, on and off the court,” Champlin said. “Our friendships and our relationships are at their best right now, making it easier to have patience and grace with one another. The team dynamics off the court help a lot when it comes to on the court.”
One of the most essential components of team sports is undying trust and support for one another, according to Norris.
From setting up a teammate for a kill to serving the ball to gathering for a triple block, trust underlies every aspect of execution in volleyball.
“We all trust one another,” Norris said. “It’s almost as though we’re able to read how we’re feeling during the matches. When I would miss a block or a serve, they would automatically just come and try to lift me up in any way possible. We were all there for one another each and every point, and it was amazing.”
On and off the court, the team brings a sense of brotherhood wherever it goes. It isn’t just training and team events that foster team cohesion.
Outside of training, the team is seen hanging out nearly every day, playing FIFA tournaments, rocket league tournaments or Super Smash Bros. These off-court activities have encouraged team harmony that has been visible on court throughout UCLA’s season – including in its four-set win over Hawaiʻi in the NCAA finals, in which it marshalled 65 assists, its highest of the season.
Despite losing last year’s MPSF Player of the Year in junior setter/opposite Miles Partain, coach John Speraw led his squad to the nation’s best record and a top-three national ranking in nearly all team statistics en route to his first title at the helm of the Bruins.
For Speraw, the familial bond extends beyond the men’s volleyball squad. As a UCLA alumnus, Speraw said he wanted to win the title for the UCLA community as a whole.
“Everybody is so into it at UCLA,” Speraw said. “I know when I get back, every single head coach is going to send me a text. It’s family for us, so if we can do that for them, then that’s what we want.”
