This post was updated February 25 at 12:24 a.m.

John Hawks’ versatility has been nothing short of tested this season.

And the Bruins’ first-year head coach can continue to prove his mettle when No. 2 UCLA (8-3) faces No. 16 UC Santa Barbara (7-6) on Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion before taking a road trip to the Thunderdome for a rematch Friday night.

“We’re worried about executing our systems and our game plan,” Hawks said. “Exerting pressure and playing defense. Being tough in great moments. Our focus is going to be on that first point.”

On a quest toward a national championship, the head honcho has turned to his bench for valuable production. In UCLA’s last outing, in which it bested then-No. 2 UC Irvine in five sets, 12 Bruins saw the court.

Contributing to the Bruins’ last two triumphs over Irvine was middle blocker Sean McQuiggan. After being away from the hardwood for several months, the redshirt junior returned against Long Beach State on Feb. 12 and owns a .462 hitting percentage on the season.

“If we continue to give pressure off the service line, we pass the way we did tonight (Saturday) and ran Cameron (junior middle blocker Cameron Thorne) and McQuiggan all day, we can beat any team,” said redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson.

After overcoming the latest contest off the backs of numerous bench players, Hawks can look toward the rest of the season with strengthened reinforcement.

After missing three games with a head injury suffered against Penn State on Jan. 31, Ido David reentered the fold against Irvine and delivered a .500 hitting percentage alongside four aces and four blocks Feb. 22. Despite his absence, the senior outside hitter/opposite currently leads the MPSF with 27 aces, while also standing at seventh in aces per set nationally.

“Ido did a great job, even though he didn’t get that many attempts,” Robinson said. “He was still engaged in the game and locked in.”

As the Bruins shift their schedule toward the Gauchos, Andrew Rowan continues to helm the ship of what is the Bruins’ aggressive attack at the net. The junior setter dished out a season-high 47 assists Saturday, his first 40-plus assist performance since Jan. 23.

Feeding off of the veteran setter have been fellow teammates Thorne and Robinson. Thorne racked up a season-high 17 kills and a .842 clip Saturday after notching a previous season-high 15 kills Wednesday. Meanwhile, Robinson’s .422 clip ranks ninth in the nation.

“We know that with every side out, we can go back and score a point,” Hawks said. “It’s trust in that process and trust in our teammates to do their job.”

Across the net, the Gauchos defeated the Bruins last season in their lone matchup in five sets. Opposite Geste Bianchi returned to UCSB for his final collegiate season and leads his team with an average of 5.33 kills per set. However, the 2024 All-Big West First Team selection has not played since Feb. 7.

Instead, the in-state rivals may turn to outside hitter Riggs Guy, who leads his crew with 113 kills on the year.

“They’re a good team,” Thorne said. “We’re not going to take them lightly. They have some great players, great opposite, good team overall. … So we got to dial in on film and practice this week to have the same results.”