This post was updated May 10 at 8:15 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

For the reigning back-to-back national champions and three sets away from the first three-peat since 1984, success is definitely not final.

And when that same squad gets swept by its crosstown rivals in its regular-season finale and falls in five to the No. 4 seed of its conference tournament, failure may just be fatal.

But don’t forget that courage matters most.

For the third consecutive season, No. 3 seed UCLA men’s volleyball (22-6, 10-2 MPSF) is heading to the NCAA tournament final after sweeping No. 2 seed and Big West conference tournament winner Hawai’i (27-6, 7-3 Big West) at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Bruins sported a .370 hitting percentage while holding the Rainbow Warriors to just a .188 clip.

“Every year is a challenge in of itself, but this year we have faced the most adversity we have ever had,” said redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson. “We are family right now. We have been having great meetings, like team meetings. Our leaders are stepping up in the right ways, it’s just clicking all at the same time.”

While UCLA dominated the statsheet – garnering 10 more kills, 11 more assists and three more service aces than Hawai‘i – it was the energy that permeated the squad that propelled it to victory.

Despite the Covelli Center being home to Ohio State men’s volleyball, the venue was filled to the brim with a myriad of green and black reverberating chants in support of the Rainbow Warriors, spearheaded by their band and spirit section.

The Bruins put on a defensive masterclass, sporting 18 block assists and 34 digs. AVCA First Team All-American setter Tread Rosenthal, who at 6-foot-11 leads Hawai‘i’s block – a defensive unit that ranks 12th in the nation in blocks per set – was only able to muster eight block assists. 

Behind the net, AVCA All-American honorable mention and libero ‘Eleu Choy produced just five digs, contributing to a team total of 22 – which was rivaled by UCLA’s 34 total, spearheaded by freshman outside hitter Sean Kelly’s eight digs.

“Sean’s a stud, he dug some balls early in the match and helped turn some points, and I think one of those digs he laid out and it trickled over the top of the net and that was a big point for the set,” said UCLA coach John Hawks. “Sean is such a smart player.”

Notably, Hawai‘i outside hitter/opposite Louis Sakanoko – who was hobbled by an ankle injury in the NCAA quarterfinals against Penn State – started the match but ended up playing as a serving sub as ankle discomfort seemed to sideline his usual prowess, which included 264 kills prior to Saturday.

Taking advantage of his absence, UCLA counterparts and outside hitter tandem redshirt junior Cooper Robinson and Kelly combined for 22 kills on .304 and .435 hitting percentages, respectively.

Junior outside hitter Zach Rama – who has taken over opposite hitter duties for the past several weeks – joined his pin-hitting duo with 10 kills and six digs.

Streamlining the Bruins’ attack was junior setter Andrew Rowan, who put together a performance reminiscent of his 60-assist match against the Rainbow Warriors in the 2023 national championship. On Saturday, Rowan notched an all-around performance, logging 34 assists, six digs and four blocks.

“You get to this point, and every match is a championship match, so you’ve got to play like every one is your last,” Rowan said. “There were some words said at the end, but that’s sports. It gets competitive, it gets chippy, that’s alright. They put up a good fight.”

UCLA will take on No. 1 seed Long Beach State in the NCAA tournament final Monday, where the Bruins face an opportunity for their third consecutive championship and their 22nd in program history. Notably, the Beach defeated the Bruins twice in the regular season, dropping just one set in the combined matches.

But winning the national title is no simple feat, and the Bruins have shown they can hang with the Rainbow Warriors – a team that has defeated the Beach twice in its last seven matches.

“I’m humbled and so proud of these guys, and just looking forward to going out there and representing Bruin country and Bruin nation and all of our alums and make everybody proud,” Hawks said. “We got the fight and some guys I love having on our side of the net.”