Capitalizing on opportunities given by others is a recipe for success: One the Bruins cooked into their first ranked victory of the season.

No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (2-0) swept No. 14 Penn State (0-3) on Friday afternoon at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Burdened by 22 attacking errors and 21 service errors, Penn State finished with a .000 hitting percentage – its lowest mark of the season.

“It was a good team win to see where we’re at against a high-level team like Penn State,” said junior middle blocker Cameron Thorne. “I just want to be part of something great and win a national championship.”

The Bruins opened the match in fiery fashion, dominating the first set 25-15. The Nittany Lions struggled to find a groove, as nine attacking errors and seven service errors plagued their opening stanza.

Thorne, a 2024 AVCA First Team All-American selection and Grand Canyon transfer, finished the contest with four blocks and five kills, all while boasting a .833 hitting percentage.

Redshirt junior middle blocker Matthew Edwards added a team-high five blocks to quell the Nittany Lions’ attack.

“We were focused on shutting down their outside number 17,” Edwards said. “We had a great serving match, so it wasn’t difficult as middle blockers to close the block as their setter was setting off the net.”

Edwards – a member of both the 2023 and 2024 national championship teams – has only played in five games throughout his UCLA career. Despite the lack of playing time, the Irvine, California, local seems primed to have an increased role this season – having garnered more attacking attempts this season than the previous two combined.

Despite the Bruins’ unhesitating start, they found themselves trailing 4-7 to open the second frame. Service reception struggles inhibited the team’s ability to attack, as Nittany Lion outside hitter Will Kuhns recorded back-to-back kills to spur their run.

UCLA relied on the power of its pin hitters in senior Ido David and junior Zach Rama – the latter of who led the squad with nine kills Friday – to regain control of the set. David and Rama combined for five of the Bruins’ 10 kills through the second set as the team maintained a 0.471 hitting percentage.

Junior setter Andrew Rowan anchored the attack, following his last performance – where he logged a team-leading 19 assists – with 21 assists against the Nittany Lions.

“Our captain and our leader Andrew Rowan does such a great job setting the ball,” said coach John Hawks. “When you have that experience, you can rely on that and trust that.”

Despite their proficient attack, the Bruins fell into a bit of a slump before closing out the duel. Their hitting percentage dipped to 0.105 in the third frame, the lowest of the season, while also accumulating seven attacking errors.

However, UCLA resorted to the hitting power of its outside hitters and the fortitude of their middle block, as David added two service aces and Rama delivered a kill to seal the Nittany Lions’ fate.

While the Bruin attack’s efficiency sputtered, the middle block remained formidable, holding the Nittany Lions to a 0.087 hitting percentage in the final stanza.

“One of the keys was to stay more mentally consistent throughout the match,” Hawks said. “We can out-physical a lot of teams, but the mental side of the game is always going to be a challenge.”

UCLA’s win Friday symbolized more than just an uptick in the win column – it offered a moment of unity and joy for the Los Angeles community, which has been ravaged by the Los Angeles County wildfires.

The natural disaster has impacted the team. Both redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson and sophomore middle blocker Spencer Graves lost their homes to the fires.

“We’re just trying to support them as much as possible,” Thorne said. “I’ve been trying to help (them) on and off the court.”

UCLA will play No. 13 Ohio State on Saturday in its final game of the First Point Collegiate Challenge.