This post was updated May 2 at 11:21 p.m.
With both sides of the court and the stands celebrating rambunctiously at each point in the final stanza, it almost seemed unclear as to whose home arena was hosting the regional final, with “U-C-I” chants being met by an UCLA eight-clap.
After the game entered a 12-12 standstill, consecutive swings from senior outside hitter Zach Rama flew off the hands of an Anteater defender to clinch match point.
But when an attempt by outside hitter Andreas Brinck was initially called out, an Anteater challenge would decide if the game ended right then and there or set the stage for sudden death.
And it seemed like fate struck a deal with the city of Irvine.
No. 1 seed UCLA men’s volleyball (29-2, 13-1 MPSF) fell in a five-set sudden-death thriller to UC Irvine (20-8, 5-5 Big West) in the NCAA regional finals at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday night. The Bruins’ season has now ended – the first time since 2022 that Westwood will not be represented in the NCAA championship.
“Congrats to them (UCI), but, to the seniors on our team, this is just an incredibly sad moment for me watching them,” said coach John Hawks. “They poured their hearts and souls into this team this year – incredible leaders on and off the court. I’m incredibly sad with them. They’ve had an incredible run, and I’m sorry to see that end.”
The Anteaters arrived in Westwood as familiar foes, having challenged the Bruins in five sets on Feb. 27 – one of just four five-set matches UCLA endured entering the postseason.
And UCI would come in fiery hot, opening the first frame with a .321 hitting percentage, off the backs of outside hitter/opposite Trevor Clark and opposite William D’Arcy, who combined for eight kills, with the former nabbing five without any errors.
The 6-foot-10 duo was especially effective putting pressure on the right pin, consistently jumping at ever-so slightly delayed tempos to rise over Bruin defenders. The Anteater offense as a whole was evidently adept at finding uncovered spots on the court, often forcing it just short of Bruin passers.
Clark would clinch the set point in the opening stanza after meeting an opposing blocker at the net in a two-hand jostle to push the ball over to UCLA’s side.
And while the Bruins strung together a strong three-point run, a ricocheted block that UCLA was unable to keep in play allowed UCI a first-set victory.
But the second set was seemingly a reversal of what had previously transpired in the opening frame, as the Bruins jumped from a .269 hitting percentage to a .407 mark.
Sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly – who finished the night with a game-high 26 kills on a .435 hitting percentage – was particularly limited on the left side of the net early, racking up two errors through his first four attempts without any kills. But the Manhattan Beach, California, local would clinch his first punch of the game midway through the first set on a cross-court hit.
And the offensive slump would not persist, as Kelly’s next seven attempts came without errors, five of which were successful, coming in varied tempos and powerful swings.
Kelly totaled nine kills in the fourth set alone, as well as an ace that led to the set point and the eventual score that forced a fifth set, with UCLA’s passing executing seamlessly. A total of 18 fourth-frame digs kept UCI’s attackers at bay, extending rallies and protecting short balls off the net.
Although the Anteater offense was limited to just a .037 clip in the second set, with just one less error than kills, UCI’s pin-hitters were able to force senior setter Andrew Rowan out-of-system at key moments throughout the match, despite the Bruins having an 11-kill advantage on the night.
However, Rowan, who totaled 57 assists on the night – his fourth 50-plus-assist performance of the year – regularly opted for his middle blockers when points seemed scarce, with senior Cameron Thorne and junior Micah Wong Diallo combining for 13 kills on a collective .455 clip.
Rowan closes a four-year career in Westwood, having nabbed two national championships across three final appearances. The Trabuco Canyon, California, local has what is likely to be four AVCA All-American First Team selections to his name, as well as the 2026 MPSF Player of the Year trophy.
“It was my dream, since I started playing volleyball, to come here and play for UCLA and win championships and do everything we’ve done,” Rowan said. “So it means the absolute world to me. I truly believe it’s made me as a person and a player. I’m so thankful for all the guys throughout the years, the guys in this group and the guys before, probably one of the most fun, supportive groups of young men I’ve ever been around. … No regrets.”
After the Bruins secured the set-point at the end of the second affair, Thorne flew by for a mistimed pass from Rowan, completely missing the ball and letting it drop. But just moments later, the All-MPSF First Team selection would come in for a straight-down kill to even the match – what would be his fifth of eight total.
Thorne, who finished with a tied-game-high six blocks, was pivotal in limiting a left-sided attack captained by outside hitter Andrej Jokanovic. About halfway through the second frame, Jokanovic rose at the net but was met by Thorne and redshirt junior opposite David Decker for a straight-down block.
Much like the first meeting, the Bruins were forced into a 2-1 deficit with a raucous Anteater crowd that seemed to celebrate more loudly than the Westwood faithful, following a back-and-forth third set with nine tied scores and four lead changes.
And once again, the Bruins and Anteaters entered a fifth-set duel.
After another Decker-Thorne stop on Brinck, UCLA would go up 5-3 – the first multi-score advantage of the game.
But after a block from Clark and setter/opposite Cameron Kosty against Kelly, UCI brought a previous four-point deficit to one, making a 9-8 game and forcing a UCLA timeout.
And after UCI’s challenge confirmed Brinck’s kill was touched, the Anteaters would live for at least one more play.
But what could have been two momentous kills from Thorne and Rama both went out of bounds.
Rama, who was second in the game with 20 kills, played with Rowan for four years at UCLA, leaving behind a legacy that includes two national championships and an All-American Second Team honor.
“Our team this year, we had a lot of heart,” Rama said. “We came back a lot – we always start the first set kind of down. I’ve never played with a group like that that’s been able to scrap back and come back in so many games. I credit one through 18 for working every single day.”
And as Rama’s last collegiate swing spun off course, landing squarely off the sideline, the Bruins’ season would come to a close.
