John Speraw isn’t in the business of making bold statements. When the UCLA men’s volleyball coach heaps praise onto an opposing player, he means it. After watching Long Beach State outside hitter Taylor Crabb slam 29 kills in a four-set win over the Bruins Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion, Speraw put the volleyball world on notice.  Read more...

Photo: Senior outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga, senior middle blocker Spencer Rowe and freshman outside hitter Jackson Bantle attempt to block a Long Beach State kill attempt. The Bruins held the 49ers to a .286 hitting percentage, but still lost 3-1. (Miriam Bribiesca/Daily Bruin)

UCLA men’s volleyball returns home to Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday night to take on Long Beach State in its first home game since Jan. 27. While the players might look forward to returning to their home court, their connection to the storied venue ranks second to that of their coach. Read more...

Photo: Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Trent Kersten said that the team doesn’t rely on “momentum” but addresses every game in the same way. (Jose Ubeda/Daily Bruin staff)

Just days after being on the verge of 10 straight wins, the Bruins are now in danger of starting a new streak in the opposite direction. Read more...

Photo: UCLA’s nine-match win streak ended on Wednesday, as the team struggled against Pepperdine. Coach John Speraw made some lineup adjustments in the match that he may tweak further for the match against USC, looking to right the ship. (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin)

There are a lot of numbers associated with UCLA men’s volleyball as of late – No. 1 national ranking, nine-game win streak, 6-0 conference record – but only one word is relevant to the nation’s top team: focus. Read more...

Photo: Senior middle blocker Spencer Rowe (left) and senior outside hitter Robart Page will put their nine-game win streak on the line against Pepperdine Wednesday.