The country’s top team handed the Bruins their first losing streak in four years Wednesday.

But coach John Hawks’ team will get a chance at redemption against the next-best opponent.

After No. 1 Long Beach State swept it in a two-match series, No. 3 UCLA men’s volleyball (6-3) will play two more against No. 2 UC Irvine (10-0) on Wednesday and Saturday. The Bruins will first travel to Irvine to face the Anteaters at the Bren Events Center before both squads drive up to play at Pauley Pavilion.

After winning just one set across two affairs against the Beach, the Bruins may again have their hands full with the Anteaters.

“We just have to get in the gym and get the touches,” said redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson. “I honestly thought we were putting good pressure tonight, and we missed a lot, really short out, and I would rather have that type of serve.”

Headlining UC Irvine’s offense – which ranks second in both aces and kills per set – is 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year Hilir Henno. The French outside hitter is a two-time All-American – and appears primed for a third-straight distinction.

Henno, who boasts a .372 hitting percentage, ranks second in the nation in aces per set and fourth in kills per set with .743 and 4.29 marks, respectively. Meanwhile, Nolan Flexen, who ranks third in the country with 4.37 kills per set, serves as the Anteater pin hitters’ second punch.

Despite ranking 10th in the nation in blocks per set, UCLA’s defense has struggled as of late. The Bruins allowed the Beach a .442 hitting percentage Feb. 12 and rank outside the top 50 in digs per set – possibly due to instability at libero.

UCLA had its fair share of personnel issues at the defensive anchor position last season but found its fix in former Bruin outside hitter Alex Knight. Hawks has attempted to conjure up a solution to Knight’s departure with a rotation of sophomore outside hitter Luca Curci and redshirt junior libero Matthew Aziz – though the team’s defensive woes persist.

“We have to get better defensively, and we have to play harder,” Hawks said. “We can play with more fire, and there’s not enough guys that compete and get challenged. We have to be better in all phases of game.”

What may be a larger issue, though, is the team’s inconsistency at middle blocker. Despite being undersized for the position at 6-foot-2, junior Cameron Thorne has shown immense promise – ranking 10th in the country with 1.156 blocks per set to go alongside a .494 hitting percentage.

But Thorne has been limited to just 89 total attacks this season. While his lack of attempts could be chalked up to issues transitioning into UCLA’s scheme or insufficient chemistry with junior setter Andrew Rowan, the Bruins will likely need him if they want to get back in the win column.

“Cam (Thorne) is a freak,” Rowan said. “It’s definitely somebody we want to give more balls to, and part of that’s on me, part of that’s on him. Part of that’s on the pass, and there’s so many things that go into it, but that is a focus – you want to give him the ball more.”

Another potential setback may be the absence of senior outside hitter/opposite Ido David, who has been out of the starting lineup since suffering a head injury in the game against Penn State on Jan. 31.

While this iteration of the Bruins has shown regression from last year’s title-winning group, Robinson has been a bright spot. In 2025, the Pacific Palisades local has recorded 106 kills and a .421 hitting percentage – a clip that ranks seventh in the nation.

The Bruins’ ninth-consecutive ranked affair begins Wednesday at 6 p.m., while their 10th starts 5 p.m. Saturday.