The reigning back-to-back national champions, ironically, have not found the same success at the conference level.

Despite leading the nation with 21 NCAA titles, the Bruins have clinched just eight MPSF championships, winning only two in the last 20 years and most recently falling to Grand Canyon in the 2024 title game.

However, No. 1 seed UCLA men’s volleyball (20-5, 10-2 MPSF) can reclaim its conference pedigree this weekend at the MPSF tournament. The squad will play No. 4 seed and tournament host Pepperdine (17-9, 7-5) in the MPSF semifinals Friday night at the Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

Although the Bruins were swept by crosstown rival Trojans to close out the regular season, the team’s outlook is far from all doom and gloom.

“We accomplished a lot,” said coach John Hawks. “We won the regular season. That’s something to celebrate, but now our backs are against the wall. We have to play like we’re fighting for our lives.”

Four Bruins were nominated to this year’s All-MPSF First Team, including MPSF Player of the Year redshirt junior Cooper Robinson.

The outside hitter finished the 2025 regular season ranked third in the conference in kills per set. Of the 24 matches Robinson appeared in, he failed to tally double-digit kills just six times. In contrast, the three-time All-MPSF selection posted 15 or more kills in 12 affairs, including a career-high 25 on Senior Night.

Fellow All-MPSF First Team member junior outside hitter Zach Rama finished the regular season with a career-high 276 kills. The Phoenix local is riding into the postseason having posted double-digit kills in his last seven matches, sporting a .450-plus hitting percentage in the last four.

“Rama and I have played a lot together since high school, so that connection has always been there,” said junior setter Andrew Rowan. “It was there with him on the right side, and now with him on the right side, it’s still there.”

Rowan, a two-time AVCA First Team All-American selection, is the third Bruin on the All-MPSF First Team – an honor he earns for the second-straight season. The 2023 MPSF Freshman of the Year sported 11 40-plus assist performances this season, surpassing 50 twice.

And the synergy among Rowan and his two pin hitters could be essential to postseason success.

Junior middle blocker Cameron Thorne is the Bruins’ fourth First Team conference selection. The Grand Canyon transfer led the conference in hitting percentage and ranked second in blocks per set.

But a tournament victory is no guarantee, no matter the talent on UCLA’s roster, especially given the MPSF’s ranked competition.

“We’ve been in this position before,” said redshirt junior libero Matthew Aziz. “We trust our ability to close out all the sound, other than the six guys on the court.”

After clinching the regular-season conference title, UCLA won’t see action until Friday evening.

The Bruins swept the season series against the Waves, dropping just one set in the two matches. Pepperdine boasts a pair of First Team members in outside hitter Ryan Barnett and opposite Cole Hartke. Hartke ranked third in the conference for kills per set, garnering MPSF Freshman of the Year.

Should UCLA move on to the finals, it will face one of No. 2 seed USC, No. 3 seed BYU or No. 6 seed Stanford.

Headlining this group is a Trojans squad wielding a deep arsenal of its own, featuring outside hitter Dillon Klein – another First Team All-MPSF selection – who ranked 10th in the conference for kills per set.

Passing to Klein is setter Caleb Blanchette, the MPSF leader in assists per set.

And a trio of MPSF All-Freshman Team nominees in middle blocker Parker Tomkinson, outside hitter Sterling Foley and libero Johnny Dykstra round out USC’s roster. Of the three, Tomkinson and Dykstra are also Second Team selections.

If the crosstown rivals meet again Saturday, the Bruins will have the chance to avenge their final regular-season game – what could have been a disheartening loss for many soon-to-be graduates, including Aziz.

“These guys are ride or die,” Aziz said. “I’ll fly around. I’ll do whatever. I’ll run through a wall for these guys. So I hope we can end this MPSF and NCAA tournament on a happy note.”