This post was updated Feb. 27 at 11:48 p.m.

Matthew Aziz’s eyes pierced the court as he hunched over.

Standing in front of the other players on the sideline, the redshirt junior libero observed the match without blinking.

When the ball slammed into the hardwood, he pumped his fist in the air to greet every player as they trotted to the bench.

A high-five awaited each of them – indicative of the energy the Burbank local often carries with him.

No. 2 UCLA men’s volleyball (9-3) fed off Aziz’s passion as it defeated No. 16 UC Santa Barbara (8-7) in four sets Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion. After losing back-to-back games for the first time since 2021, the Bruins have increased their win streak to three after beating the then-No. 2 Anteaters twice last week.

“These are trap games – where you’re playing a lower-ranked team, and you’re coming off the high of playing highly ranked teams,” said coach John Hawks. “You can’t exhale against anybody, and that’s what happened.”

And when the Bruins were caught in the trap, Aziz’s impact was felt most.

Trailing late in a pivotal third set after the score was tied at one set each, the squad appeared depleted with hands on hips and blank stares peering through the net. However, Aziz continued to vocalize and dish out high-fives, uplifting his teammates amid a dire situation.

“Our energy was down from the start, so I knew that I had to turn it on and bring that energy,” Aziz said. “When things aren’t going well, a high-five and eye contact means you are together and that you will move on to the next point.”

Aziz spurred the Bruins to overcome their three-point deficit in the third set, while senior outside hitter/opposite Ido David placed an ace in the Gauchos’ corner to outlast them and take a 2-1 stanza lead.

“I’m only playing four out of 12 rotations, so there’s only so much I can do impact-wise on the court,” Aziz said. “I’m there to bring these guys up and make them feel like they can play free.”

An inconsistent attack contributed to the squad’s struggles as it sported a .435 hitting percentage in the first stanza but dipped to a dismal .000 clip in the second frame. UCSB’s stalwart defense forced UCLA to commit a season-high 18 attacking errors.

David and redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson both struggled to find their rhythm on the attack – posting .059 and .171 hitting percentages, respectively. However, Wednesday night’s game was only David’s third start since returning from injury.

It was junior outside hitter Zach Rama who picked up the offense’s slack, registering a team-leading 14 kills while maintaining a .440 clip – his most efficient attacking performance since Jan. 18, when he posted a .529 hitting percentage against Ohio State.

Throughout the third and fourth frame, Rama generated timely kills – with two of his four in each set coming after his team hit the 20-point mark.

“We’re finding better situations to give me the ball and get me going in the system,” Rama said. “I’ve been getting some of the junk the past few games.”

Despite recent attacking inconsistency, Rama has developed his passing and defensive skillset. He garnered two assists and three digs against the Gauchos, helping to orchestrate the offensive attack and spearhead the defensive effort alongside junior setter Andrew Rowan – who finished the game with 32 assists and seven digs.

“Passing is something that always needed to improve,” Rama said. “Every day, I come to practice 30 minutes early and get some passes going.”

The Bruins fell to the Gauchos last season in their lone matchup, and this victory is the first time the squad has bested the Gauchos since sweeping them twice in 2023.

UCLA will battle UCSB again Friday at the Thunderdome before MPSF conference play begins.