Among explosive jumps, haste side-to-side shuffling, dives onto the hardwood floor and backward-bending fingers, the physical demands of volleyball batter its athletes.

Therefore, rest is pivotal.

A well-rested No. 2 UCLA men’s volleyball (14-3, 4-0 MPSF) will face No. 9 Pepperdine (14-4, 6-0) in a two-match series on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion and Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. The match marks UCLA’s first since sweeping Vanguard on March 15 – the squad’s eighth-straight victory.

Even then, coach John Hawks limited many of the Bruin starters’ playing time against Vanguard with some players, like redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson, sitting for their first full match of the season.

Only one of the squad’s starters played more than four sets during the Vanguard series. Senior outside hitter/opposite Ido David cracked the court at least once in five separate sets.

Junior setter Andrew Rowan – who had been dealing with an illness at the start of MPSF play – has played just four sets out of 13 in March across four affairs.

However, the absence of Bruin stars has allowed Hawks to showcase the team’s depth. In lieu of the 2023 and 2024 First Team All-American, freshman setter Trent Taliaferro has commanded the Bruins’ attack.

“The leaders on the court know how to orchestrate the show,” Taliaferro said. “It’s always good to have some upperclassmen that have the experience and are able to calm us down.”

The San Clemente, California, local didn’t record a single assist in his first four appearances, yet he accumulated 106 in his last four performances. He simultaneously bolstered UCLA’s defense with eight blocks and 15 digs.

Taliaferro’s first-year counterpart outside hitter Sean Kelly has also fortified the team’s depth, sporting a team-leading 17 kills across the Bruins’ last two affairs.

UCLA’s rejuvenated starters along with its bolstered reserves can exploit Pepperdine’s blocking deficiencies, one that ranks 37th in the NCAA in blocks per set with a 1.937 clip.

Brandishing the fourth-most efficient attack in the nation – with a hitting percentage of .364 – the Bruins have the capacity to overpower the Waves’ defense. Nevertheless, Pepperdine will rely on its efficient attack, which ranks third in the nation at a .370 clip, to match UCLA’s imposing hitters.

The Bruins’ block will have to fluster Waves’ outside hitters Ryan Barnett and Cole Hartke, who combined for 56 kills in Pepperdine’s latest series against Menlo.

Instead of benching key contributors against a struggling Menlo, who have just one conference win this season, Pepperdine coach Jonathan Winder decided to start his weapons at the pins.

However, Pepperdine’s pin hitters may struggle against a stifling UCLA block that has drastically improved since falling to Long Beach State in back-to-back affairs.

Since their last loss, the Bruins have registered 4.862 blocks per set, nearly two whole blocks greater than the Trojans – who sport a national-leading 2.905 clip.

Hawks may opt to return to his established starters, or he may use a flurry of rotations to surprise Pepperdine given the emergence of UCLA’s reserves.

“Our guys worked really hard and are so happy that they can go out there and showcase what they can do,” Hawks said. “That’s what a good team culture is about.”