A formidable defense is a prerequisite for championship-caliber play.

When playing in its seventh and eighth straight conference matches Friday and Saturday evening against No. 13 Grand Canyon (14-8, 3-5 MPSF), No. 2 UCLA men’s volleyball (16-3, 6-0) can embrace its budding defense at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix.

Though second in the nation, the Bruins sit atop the MPSF standings after starting the 2025 conference slate undefeated and are on a 10-game win streak with just four dropped sets since Feb. 26.

The Bruins have eclipsed a hitting percentage of .350 in four of their last six matchups. But they are also proficient on both sides of the ball.

UCLA’s defensive prowess is largely responsible for the team’s second-best ranking in the country.

Since the squad’s last defeat Feb. 12, UCLA has held eight of its last 10 opponents to a hitting percentage below .300, restricting both UC Irvine and Stanford to .077 and .076, respectively. The Bruins have also averaged 2.54 blocks per set since the start of their double-digit win streak.

Junior middle blocker Cameron Thorne spearheads the blocking department, leading with 75 rejections while swatting 1.17 blocks per set – good for fifth in the nation.

Still, it hasn’t been a one-man show – redshirt junior middle blocker Matthew Edwards stifled the Pepperdine attack in UCLA’s most recent contest with seven blocks, despite having just three total through his first three seasons in Westwood.

And while junior setter Andrew Rowan is hailed for his passing ability and game IQ, he fortified the block along with Edwards and Thorne, accumulating a season-high five blocks in the final game of the Pepperdine series Saturday.

“The guys are super good at adjusting,” said freshman setter Trent Taliaferro. “Whoever’s out there, they’ll find a way to win.”

Despite the excitement of high-flying blocks, defense in volleyball is twofold – players also need to keep the ball off the floor. UCLA has checked this box as well.

The Bruins surpassed 30 digs in their most recent performance – their third time reaching this threshold during the team’s win streak.

Sophomore outside hitter Luca Curci, who struggled in the middle of the season against Long Beach State and UC Irvine by accumulating 11 reception errors across the two series, had only four reception errors in March. With his improved receiving ability, he sported a season-high six digs in the Bruins’ most recent performance.

Although freshman outside hitter Sean Kelly has emerged as an offensive weapon, logging six or more kills in his last four games, he has displayed defensive tenacity. Through the former No. 1 recruit’s first 10 games, he only recorded three digs.

However, the Manhattan Beach, California, local has three or more digs in four straight games while only committing two reception errors during this span.

“Sean is such a good volleyball player, and he does so much for us,” said coach John Hawks. “He passes the ball well, he is a really good blocker, and he plays great defense.”

Furthermore, redshirt junior libero Matthew Aziz has also blossomed as a stalwart defensive weapon. The Burbank, California, local has yet to post a reception error this season, and he has registered four or more digs in six of the Bruins’ last eight games.

The Bruins’ improved ability in prolonging rallies has caused teams to falter from the service line, limiting each opposing service to five or fewer aces in nine straight games. At the start of the season, the Bruins allowed more than five aces in five of their first nine games.

Coming off back-to-back losses to No. 3 USC, Grand Canyon struggled to find its attacking groove – recording an average hitting percentage south of .300 with a .285 clip.

Despite Grand Canyon’s recent attacking blunders, UCLA’s block will have to limit middle blocker Trevell Jordan to stymie its arsenal. The Mesa, Arizona, local has surged to the seventh most efficient attacker in the nation with a .431 hitting percentage.

Considering the Bruins’ improved defense and reception, they may look to exploit the Antelopes’ service line deficiencies, as the latter rank 39th in the country with just 1.29 aces per set. Grand Canyon opposite Jarrett Anderson is its most efficient server, leading the squad with 23 aces while committing just 34 service errors.

Grand Canyon will put UCLA’s defense to the test, giving the latter a chance to stake its claim as one of the nation’s elite in blocking and digging.

“We’re on a roll, but we want to keep it going,” Kelly said.