No. 1 seed UCLA men’s volleyball (22-4, 11-1 MPSF) is entering the postseason in this Thursday’s MPSF semifinal. The Bruins have a chance to repeat as conference champions for the first time since 2001 and have already secured a first-round bye. Here is a breakdown of the Bruins prior to playoffs from staff writer Anthony Aroyan – who can barely contain his excitement for playoff volleyball – and sports contributor Connor Dullinger – who has a feeling this season will end with happy tears for the Bruins.

Outside hitter

Personnel: Luca Curci, Cooper Robinson, Alex Knight, Grant Sloane, Ethan Champlin, Zach Rama, Kahale Clini

Six different pin hitters have received starting nods this season – a testament to the Bruins’ depth at the position.

Inconsistency at the libero role forced outside hitters senior Ethan Champlin and redshirt senior Alex Knight to deviate from their natural habitat.

And although Knight – who averages a career-high .343 hitting clip – may remain busy as UCLA’s defensive specialist, the squad’s outside hitters will excel in his absence.

After attending to libero duties, Champlin returned to the outside hitter position and has posted seven double-digit kill performances in the last 10 matches since returning to his native milieu.

Coming off a season in which he garnered First-Team All-American and First-Team All-MPSF selections and boasted a .345 clip alongside 2.75 kills per set, Champlin spearheads the Bruins’ kills and digs this season with 190 and 132, respectively.

Beyond the mastery and experience of Champlin, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Cooper Robinson has had a major uptick in offensive production. After contributing only 19 kills on 41 total opportunities in his inaugural season, Robinson has posted 189 kills this year – second most behind Champlin – along with hitting at a .323 clip this season.

Redshirt junior outside hitter Grant Sloane also elevated his offensive output this season, besting last season’s .305 hitting clip with a .337 mark so far this season, and is already contributing 83 more kills than 2023’s total.

Often overshadowed last season by his sophomore counterpart, setter Andrew Rowan, Zach Rama has carved a stature of his own in 2024.

After being named to the MPSF All-Freshman Team and contributing in pivotal moments last season, the sophomore outside hitter has continued his clutch ways. Despite hitting at a lower clip this season, Rama has reached triple-digit kills with 114 and struck a career-high 21 kills against BYU.

Time and time again, the Bruins’ depth has proved to be the team’s recipe for success.

Opposite
Personnel: Jaidin Russell, Ido David, David Decker

After earning First-Team All-American and First-Team All-MPSF recognitions and posting 357 kills his sophomore season, junior outside hitter/opposite Ido David’s production and presence took a dip this year.

David has seen 290 total attempts on the season – a stark contrast from last season’s 671. As a result, David has experienced career lows in kills and hitting percentage with 127 and .279, respectively.

Despite David’s off season – one that has been attributed to difficulties integrating with the team – the offensive powerhouse holds the capability to upend plots for UCLA. From a 10-kill performance in a 3-2 win over BYU to a nine-kill contribution in a 3-2 victory over UC Irvine, David bolsters the Bruin unit seen through the net.

Libero
Personnel: Hideharu Nakamura, Ayrton Garcia-Jurado, Matthew Aziz, Coleman McDonough

Since the departure of defensive linchpin Troy Gooch, the Bruins have struggled to replace the 219 digs that the Purdue-Fort Wayne transfer posted last season.

Coach John Speraw has experimented with five players at the libero position this season, including Champlin, Knight, redshirt sophomore Matthew Aziz, sophomore Coleman McDonough and junior Hideharu Nakamura.

After a rotating door at the job, the Bruins settled on a permanent solution toward the end of the regular season – a rotation between Aziz and Knight.

Despite being named Most Outstanding Player at the 2023 NCAA tournament after hitting over .350 and posting a combined 21 kills as an outside hitter, Knight will return to the tournament this year at libero.

Aziz, Knight’s partner at the position, has posted 51 digs this season – a feat that comes after a season of injury rehab during which the local of Burbank, California, did not see any action.

The tag-team will have to hold it down defensively if the Bruins have any hopes of repeating.

Middle blocker
Personnel: Thiago Zamprogno, Spencer Graves, Micah Wong Diallo, Guy Genis, Sean McQuiggan, Merrick McHenry, Christopher Hersh, Matthew Edwards

UCLA’s middle blocking lineup is characterized by physicality and technique on both sides of the ball – marshaling the Bruins to No. 5 in the nation in blocks per set at 2.53.

Through the season, three players earned the vast majority of playing time for the position – redshirt junior middle blocker Guy Genis, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Sean McQuiggan and redshirt senior middle blocker Merrick McHenry.

McQuiggan, a later regular to the squad than Genis and McHenry, has the most outlying physical profile of the trio, standing at 6-foot-11 as the tallest player on the Bruin roster.

McQuiggan’s height and reach has given him the ability to be a physical blocker, exhibited by his 52 blocks this season. The Redondo Beach, California, local has also shown a knack for being an efficient offensive contributor, earning 69 kills on a .562 clip.

McQuiggan’s arrival to UCLA’s rotation was in part due to the absence of Genis at different parts of the regular season. After slating in at No. 4 in the nation with 1.21 blocks per set in 2023, Genis played 14 of the team’s 26 games in 2024. In his appearances, he recorded 51 total blocks and 68 kills on 119 attacks – good for a .454 hitting percentage.

As the most accoladed middle blocker on UCLA’s roster, McHenry has earned two MPSF Offensive Player of the Week and one MPSF Defensive Player of the Week honors this season. The 6-foot-7 middle leads the team in blocks with 90, including seven solo blocks on the season that earned him the program record for most career solo blocks when he surpassed Garrett Muagututia’s record of 44.

On the offensive, McHenry ranks second in service aces at 31 and third in kills with 166, leading the MPSF in hitting percentage at .577.

McHenry’s dual-threat playstyle as a middle blocker adds extra versatility to the Bruin arsenal.

Setter
Personnel: David Flores, Andrew Rowan, Ayrton Garcia-Jurado

The Bruins’ 2024 setter has been a one-man operation. Rowan continues to lead the passing department for Speraw’s offense, penciling in 917 assists in 90 sets to feature top-10 in the nation for assists per set.

A dominant rookie campaign awarded the Trabuco Canyon, California, local AVCA Newcomer of the Year honors last year. Rowan has replicated that impact this season, propelling the Bruins to the best hitting percentage in the country at .373. Compounding his ability at the net, Rowan leads UCLA in service aces with 34.

Rowan’s continued consistency as the Bruins’ primary setter will be a determining factor in the team’s postseason trajectory.