Getting swept off your feet by a strong wave should prepare you for the next one.

And when that second wave hit, the Bruins stayed grounded.

Despite posting a lower team hitting percentage than its opponent for the first time this season, No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (21-1, 8-1 MPSF) returned to the win column after taking down No. 6 Pepperdine (18-5, 9-1) in four sets Saturday evening at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruin victory came just two days after a road upset, during which the Waves bested the Westwood squad in a five-set duel decided by just two points.

Blue-and-gold controlled the final three sets of the match after the first began in a way that seemed all too familiar from Thursday night’s loss, when UCLA tied its season-high in service error with 27. Five service blunders in the opening frame allowed Pepperdine to take an early lead, coupled with the Bruins appearing uncoordinated in their passing and blocking game.

Around the midway point of the first set, a quick dig by libero Jacob Reilly sent the ball over the net toward redshirt junior opposite David Decker and senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne. The two collided as they both attempted the attack, resulting in a rare net violation for the Bruins.

In addition, the squad appeared to jump noticeably early on blocking attempts, particularly those against the attacks of outside hitter/opposite and MPSF kills per set leader Cole Hartke. The miscues allowed the 6-foot-11 Hartke to total seven kills in the first frame, building off his game-high 23 kills Thursday.

“A big part of our scout is trying to figure out how to stop (Hartke),” said senior setter Andrew Rowan. “He’s a guy who’s going to be in the Team USA gym forever.”

Finishing the first set on a near-perfect clip en route to a 29-27 victory, Hartke helped hand coach John Hawks’ group its first opening frame loss at home this season.

Thursday’s loss seemed to carry into the Saturday bout – all the cards were stacked against the Bruins.

Yet Hawks highlighted his squad’s ability to learn from adversity.

“The focus was really on our response,” Hawks said. “We had our first loss – and we haven’t had to deal with that yet. We stayed together, and we stayed positive. We made sure everyone kept playing hard for the guy next to him.”

And the response after the first set was clear.

Sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly came out firing early and maintained his offensive aggression throughout the rest of the match. Posting 10 kills through the first two sets, including seven in the first, Kelly was comfortable hitting off second-tempo opportunities. He finished the match with 15 kills on a .480 clip – one of three Bruins to post a double-digit mark.

“The hometown crowd helped a bunch,” Kelly said. “And I also think being able to game-plan after the first match really helped. We served a lot better in this second game, and we finally executed a bit of blocking and some digs.”

Despite the early service errors, UCLA minimized its miscues to just 17.

Rowan was also kept much more in-system compared to the previous match, when frequent scrambling after loose balls led him to finish with a career-high 14 digs Thursday. The Trabuco Canyon, California, local posted 47 assists with just three digs Saturday night, adding four service aces as well.

When Rowan is playing well, the team around him often replicates that.

After being pulled just three sets into Thursday’s match, junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo bounced back the second time around against the Wave.

“Micah (Wong Diallo) is a freak athlete, and we’re just trying to put the technical things together with his physicality,” Rowan said. “It’s a slow burn, but he’s only getting better – and he’s getting better at the right time. It’s super awesome to see.”

Diallo tallied nine kills on just 10 attempts and added four blocks as well, including a direct stop against Hartke. This helped fuel the Bruins’ scoring run late in the third set, propelling them to a 25-17 victory. This defensive effort limited Hartke as the match progressed. The outside hitter/opposite posted just five kills in the final three sets after putting up seven in the first frame alone.

The Bruins built a lead late in the fourth frame following two kills by Thorne, and outside hitter Ryan Barnett’s service error ultimately sealed the revenge victory.

Hawks’ squad now looks ahead to the final five matches of the regular season, while understanding the possibility of facing the Waves yet again in the postseason.

“We’re going to see Pepperdine somewhere down the road,” Hawks said. “Whether that’s in the MPSF tournament or the national championship, I’m sure we’ll see them. You learn a lot about each other over two matches, and I’m just glad we came out on top tonight.”