Sometimes I wake up, and things feel perfect.

My alarm clock rings when I want it to.

Every stoplight seemingly turns green as I approach it.

And the sun refuses to stop shining.

But then it all comes crashing down when I remember I have an exam.

No matter how much I may have prepared – studying late into the night and grinding out practice problems – none of that is important, unless I prove I can execute when it matters most.

And just as I enter exam season, UCLA men’s volleyball enters the NCAA tournament – with little care for how close to perfection they achieved in the regular season.

Heck, they probably won’t even remember the MPSF trophy they hoisted Saturday night after beating crosstown rival USC in four sets.

That, at least, all pales in comparison when considering the Bruins’ opportunity to clinch the program’s 22nd national championship.

If there’s any year to do it – it’s 2026.

And I’m concerned this will be their last opportunity to do so for a considerable time.

UCLA women’s basketball claimed the school’s 126th national title after trouncing South Carolina in a 28-point beating April 5 – a game during which all the Bruins’ points came from graduating players.

With what is almost certainly going to be a massive roster upheaval and an entirely new look for the 2026-27 iteration of UCLA, the Bruins have already been ranked outside the top 25 for next year’s women’s basketball season.

I predict men’s volleyball is in a far too similar situation – the Bruins are exceptionally poised to win it all this season, and it might be the most urgent year to do it, before they lose a core group of veteran seniors.

Headlining UCLA’s roster is a starting lineup in which all but one member is in the second half of their collegiate career, with two redshirt juniors and three seniors – the latter group in their final year of eligibility.

Nonetheless, these Bruins all happen to be peaking at the same time.

At the core of nearly all the Bruins’ success over the last four seasons is setter Andrew Rowan.

The three-time AVCA All-American boasts the nation’s highest assists-per-set clip, responsible for guiding the country’s most efficient attack.

Simply put, when Rowan plays well, the Bruins excel.

The Trabuco Canyon, California, local boasts nine 45-plus assist performances this season, including a career third-best and season-high 59 against the Trojans, during a five-set duel in a relentless road environment.

One of eight players in the country named to the 2026 AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Player of the Year Award Watch List Semifinals and the 2026 MPSF Player of the Year, Rowan shows high IQ, flawless decision-making and brings out the best in his teammates.

Capable of making any read in the playbook and finding hitters at any spot on the floor with any tempo, Rowan is arguably the best setter – maybe player – in the country.

And just like the NFL, where having the best quarterback often leads to the Lombardi trophy, having the best setter often earns you a championship.

And the Bruins have one last year to enjoy that luxury.

But Rowan is not alone in the run for title of best college player.

Over the summer, I talked about how one of the Bruins’ main storylines would be losing 2025 MPSF Player of the Year Cooper Robinson, who now plays professional volleyball in Japan.

While I probably wouldn’t say any current Bruins are better than Robinson – although it is exceptionally close between him and Rowan – his absence has been more than made up for by the emergence of outside hitter Zach Rama, who joins Rowan on the National Player of the Year Watch List’s top eight, alongside sophomore pin-hitter Sean Kelly.

[Related: 2025-2026 UCLA sports season previews]

After manning the opposite role in 2025, Rama has flaunted his versatility all year.

A full season on the right-side pin under his belt means the Phoenix, Arizona, local can operate from anywhere on the court, and coach John Hawks continues to employ at least one dedicated rotation with the senior on the opposite side of the net.

Though second on the team in kills, Rama trails Kelly by just four on a .331 hitting percentage while also boasting a higher kill-per-set mark.

His growth has been evident, as he jumped from a .318 mark as a junior. The AVCA Second Team All-American boasts just 10 games this season with single-digit kills – all but two of which came in matches where Rama played three or fewer sets, and half of which saw nine kills.

While Rama has spoken about his favorite passes being high and fast to get up and over opposing defenders, he has consistently displayed an ability to get creative with his approaches, capable of making standard power swings while also expanding to more back-row reps and employing the occasional float.

A few times Rama takes the second touch and fakes out a swing to set up another teammate.

Despite his 6-foot-8 stature, Rama’s ability to get in low stances also makes him an adept passer, logging 123 on the year and delivering multiple digs in all but two matches this season.

The outside hitter has recorded 12 five-plus dig performances, including a season-high nine against Pepperdine on April 2 – UCLA’s only loss of the year.

Obviously, Rama is no libero – but his ability to extend plays even when outside of his primary domain means he’s no defensive liability.

And that defense has been a cornerstone for the Bruins.

But it may also be ubiquitous with the UCLA brand overall.

After having covered the UCLA men’s water polo team winning the 2025 national championship, one of my biggest takeaways from the entire season was how defense is the backbone to every facet of success.

While this may not be the case to the same extent in volleyball, it sure is still a big part of what makes Bruin volleyball as good as it is.

And integral to that is senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne.

While the Bruins will be fortunate to retain junior Micah Wong Diallo, losing Thorne will be a massive punch to the gut. I mean, how many 6-foot-4 middles bounce out of the gym with 45-plus-inch verticals?

I don’t have to explain much.

Just watch any five-second clip of Thorne spiking a ball, and you’ll see he’s an athletic rarity.

But it’s one thing to be gifted physically – and it’s a whole different thing to be that freakishly bouncy while also having the work ethic and game IQ to cover any read an opponent can throw at you.

[Related: ‘It’s my last chance to do it’: Cameron Thorne is no stranger to grit, tenacity]

The All-MPSF First Team selection was crowned as the nation’s best middle blocker last season, and his domination has far from wavered. This year, Thorne has totaled 89 blocks, while also swinging at the conference’s best efficiency – a product largely of his fast twitch that enables what might be the country’s best first tempo option.

Captaining the frontline basically means Thorne is the Bruins’ Rowan on defense, employing lightning-fast lateral agility to cover the entire net, despite not having as large a frame as the average middle.

Simply put, another Ryan Miller Award is more than plausible in Thorne’s near future.

It’s safe to say that the Rowan-Rama-Thorne trio is in heavy contention for the nation’s best veteran core. They’ve shown this to be the case after losing just one game all year, with the only negative tally being decided by two points in a tough road environment.

Should the Bruins rematch with the Wave in the NCAA semifinals, history is on the former’s side – especially considering UCLA bounced back from its singular loss at home in four sets against Pepperdine just two days after the first bout. With the national championship running through Westwood, a perfect home streak is three games away from being clinched.

From there, any likely finals pairing – whether USC, Long Beach or Hawai‘i – all come against squads UCLA has demonstrated its ability to match up against and beat squarely.

As confident as I can be predicting the Bruins will hoist up their 127th national championship May 11, nothing in life is ever guaranteed.

But the depth of talent and leadership on this roster makes this the best opportunity to do so.

Next year’s rotation will look vastly different, and the growth of men’s volleyball means the gap between No. 1 and the rest of the pool diminishes year in and year out.

I’m sure Hawks and his guys know that.

But for now, any attempt to dethrone the best team in the country runs through Westwood.