Zach Rama was all smiles as he took the court.

The senior outside hitter – draped in blue and white leis – walked with his parents by his side, waiting to greet each of his coaches with a handshake before receiving his framed jersey.

The Phoenix local was one of five Bruins honored on Senior Night before the team’s final regular-season match. This capped off a four-year career in Westwood that includes two national championships and the opportunity for a third.

“It’s crazy thinking this is one of our (the seniors’) last games together in Pauley (Pavilion),” Rama said. “I came in as one of the top recruits and ended up not playing much my first two years, so I had to grow into a new role. That helped shape who I am as a person today, and I wouldn’t take that decision back.”

On an evening that belonged to the graduating class, No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (26-1, 13-1 MPSF) defeated No. 8 BYU (20-11, 7-7) in four sets Saturday at Pauley Pavilion, clinching the top seed in the MPSF tournament and a share of the regular season MPSF title with No. 4 Pepperdine. The victory serves as the conclusion to a regular season that saw the Bruins go undefeated at home and achieve a 20-0 start that marked the program’s best since 1984.

UCLA took the first of two matches between the squads Thursday night. Saturday’s rematch began with a back-and-forth first set.

Rama blasted a kill that knocked outside hitter Trevor Herget to the ground and gave the Bruins an 18-16 lead.

This was followed by a 9-3 Cougars run fueled by unforced errors and a lack of defensive pressure.

The Bruins tallied six service errors in the first set alone and finished the frame with zero blocks. BYU outside hitter Connor Oldani led the squad to an 11-kill opening set on a .733 clip, posting five kills himself and building off a Thursday night performance in which he led his team with 14 kills.

The Cougars took a 25-21 first-set victory after redshirt junior opposite David Decker’s kill attempt was met by a trio of defenders at the net.

UCLA got back to form in the second frame, however, largely because of the efforts of another senior talent in middle blocker Cameron Thorne.

“It’s been surreal. I love it here,” said Thorne, who transferred to UCLA from Grand Canyon in 2024. “I chose this program for a reason. We have a bunch of great pieces, great coaching, a great university. I couldn’t have asked for a better two years.”

Two Cougars almost collided with one another early in the second frame before floating the ball over the net. A well-timed assist by senior setter Andrew Rowan – one of his 42 on the night – set Thorne up to pulverize the ball onto the hardwood. Rowan continued the scoring himself soon after with a sneaky fake set into a dump that put the Bruins up 10-6.

Once UCLA tightened up its blocking and serving, it went on an 11-3 scoring run that helped even out the match at one set apiece.

While it seemed like the Cougars would hang around for the rest of the match, the Bruins were able to make all the right decisions in close situations.

“We’re night and day different from what we were last year,” coach John Hawks said. “Not just in personnel, but in the way the guys are playing together and playing with a ton of heart and passion and trust. They’re a resilient group. They’re tough. And we’re not done.”

The Bruins found themselves facing a 22-20 deficit late in the third frame – much like the end of the first.

But the resilience Hawks spoke of shone through.

A Decker kill that missed the back line by just a few centimeters, alongside one of Rama’s season-high four service aces on the night, leveled the score at 22.

BYU would add one more point off a kill from outside hitter/libero Cole Hauser, but blocks at the net by the blue and gold allowed the Bruins to take the third set.

“It came down to service pressure,” Thorne said. “Just getting our serves down after missing a bunch early. We really caught up after that.”

Emotions were high by the match’s late stages, as the Bruins could sense a victorious end to their nearly perfect regular season.

But after a missed block by Thorne and Decker that gave BYU a 10-8 lead in the fourth frame, Thorne was visibly frustrated as he slammed the ball to the ground before joining his teammates in the huddle.

That frustration seemingly transformed into offensive firepower, with Thorne soon delivering a high-flying kill off another Rowan assist.

The Rowan-Thorne connection has played an imperative role in the Bruins’ offensive success this season. Rowan currently leads both the MPSF and the nation in assists per set, while Thorne tops the conference in hitting percentage.

The fourth frame went down to the wire, and Pauley Pavilion was buzzing with energy as the Bruin faithful rose to their feet for the match point.

On a night meant for the seniors, there may have been no ending more fitting than a service ace by Rama to give the Bruins the four-set victory.

“We understand that we’re good enough to beat anybody in this country,” Rama said. “Everybody’s going to play their best against us, so we have to manage and focus on our side of the net.”

UCLA will receive the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament beginning Wednesday in Provo, Utah.

“It’s been a special year, but our goal isn’t to win the conference,” Hawks said. “It is, as a first step, to do that – but our goal is to win the whole thing. It’s special when you get a chance to be on your own court. We’re great here, and we’re trying to keep that up.”