This post was updated Jan. 16 at 11:37 p.m.

The First Point Collegiate Challenge always features the nation’s best – and this year is no different.

Featuring four top-25 teams, the two-day tournament will commence Friday with No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (1-0) facing No. 14 Penn State (0-2) at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. UCLA will wrap up the affair with a second contest Saturday against No. 13 Ohio State (2-2).

The matchups come amid the wildfires that have spread throughout Los Angeles County.

“I see volleyball right now as a distraction to everything that’s going on. I’m super fired up. I’m very focused on what we have to do to succeed at this tournament,” said redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson. “I think our families and all of our loved ones want us to thrive in what we’re doing, so they’re carrying the burden right now, and we’re just out here ready to compete.”

The Bruins played both the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes twice last season, amassing a 3-1 record. Last year, Ohio State handed UCLA its first loss of the season – one of the Bruins’ five losses – by defeating the Bruins in five sets. Penn State also brought UCLA to five sets in their midseason matchup but failed to complete the reverse sweep. The other two affairs resulted in Bruin sweeps.

Heading into the contest, the Bruins are focusing on what they are going to look like come playoffs.

“What we’re trying to get better at is really touching the ball a little bit cleaner from a lot of first point, first contact stuff,” said coach John Hawks. “It’s about us being great in April and May. So where we are right now, I like where we are – developing our depth and, really, our cohesion on the court.”

This season, the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes are adjusting to roster turnover. Penn State lost four of its top-five kill leaders from the 2023-2024 season, including two-time AVCA All-American Toby Ezeonu.

Similarly, Ohio State lost three of its top-five kill leaders from last season, including two-time AVCA All-American selection and 2023 MIVA Player of the Year Jacob Pasteur. The Buckeyes are also without last season’s starters libero Thomas Poole and setter Michael Wright, who recorded 175 digs and 595 assists last season, respectively.

With the departure of significant parts of both teams’ production, each retained vital components from its 2024 squad. The Nittany Lions return middle blocker Owen Rose, who notched 185 kills on a .418 hitting percentage last season. They also returned Ryan Merk and Michael Schwob – the team’s starting libero and setter last season.

The Buckeyes are returning opposite Shane Wetzel. The two-time AVCA All-American honorable mention garnered 259 kills last season, including 13 in the Buckeyes’ 3-2 victory over the Bruins.

Entering the affair, Penn State has yet to win a match in 2025, notably falling to then-No. 12 Loyola Chicago – a team formerly led by Hawks – in four sets and then getting swept by then-No. 14 Lewis. Ohio State is facing similar regression, starting the season 2-2 after falling twice to No. 5 BYU in four sets each time.

In contrast, UCLA has played just one match this season – a sweep over Saint Francis – as its first contest against Fairleigh Dickinson was canceled because of the LA wildfires.

“For the first game, we did pretty well,” said sophomore middle blocker Spencer Graves. “You can always do better. But it’s our first serious game, and everyone’s got to kind of groove together and know what to do on the court next to each other and have that trust – which comes with more games and more practice.”

The Bruins dominated their match against the Red Flash despite lacking game experience, hitting a .460 clip across three sets and garnering just three attacking errors. However, UCLA struggled from the service line, accumulating 18 service errors.

More importantly, though, the Bruins have relied on each other off the court to get through challenging times.

“It’s been a tough week. I can’t put myself in the minds of those guys,” Hawks said. “I know that the support for our team is there for those guys. They know it. And the best part about being a part of our team is how close we are – and those guys can lean on us, and we can lean on each other, during these tough times.”

The Bruins will face the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes again at the Big Ten Challenge on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, respectively.