With their eighth straight win and seventh sweep, the Bruins have had their best beginning to a season since 2016.
During its first road swing of 2023, No. 2 UCLA men’s volleyball (8-0) made its first appearance of the season in Fairfax, Virginia, with a straight sweep over George Mason (0-7) on Tuesday evening. While the Patriots might not make a reappearance on the national stage, the Bruins have the opportunity to return to the same court in three months at the NCAA championships.
Coach John Speraw said the group’s showing was due to its ability to capitalize on the successes of last year’s season.
“We have been able to build off of last year’s successes with a group of guys that understand systems and their responsibilities within it,” Speraw said. “They add even more depth to some really talented young players.”
The Bruins’ past few games have all seen a deviation from their usual starting lineups, and Tuesday was no different. Freshman outside hitter Zach Rama walked into his first career start for the squad against the Patriots.
Rama led the scoring, concluding the game with 10 kills and a .429 hitting percentage. After the Patriots battled to tie the game at nine apiece in the second frame, a George Mason error and crucial kill from Rama put the Bruins back up 15-13. Rama’s impact continued throughout the set, with another kill coming soon after the timeout to put the squad at a 17-13 edge, and a final kill toward the end of the set secured a set victory.
“To hit .476 (sic) as an outside hitter in your first match as a true freshman is pretty impressive,” Speraw said. “But his ceiling, his upside is tremendous.”
And his impact continued late into the game. Alongside the rest of the squad, Rama’s play in the third set ensured the fewest lead changes in any set of the match.
“Starting felt great. There was a lot of support out there, and my teammates just really wanted me to succeed,” Rama said. “Any opportunity to get out there, I’ll do it.”
Speraw said he recognizes the freshman’s potential and understands exactly where he can improve and better his well-founded game.
Alongside Rama’s performance, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Guy Genis’ play elucidated Speraw’s comment about the strength of the team’s young players.
Genis’ match-high eight blocks kept the Bruins in the lead through most of the match. Blocks from Genis and senior outside hitter Alex Knight throughout the first set – of which there were three – helped the Bruins complete the set at 25-15.
“Guy not only is a fantastic blocker, but I think he’s a great leader out there for our guys,” Speraw said. “He’s a great volleyball player but also adds a tangible value to the group.”
Genis said he knew exactly what to expect from the opposite side of the net.
“I had to watch and stimulate the other team,” Genis said. “ I thought about who we are going to play and how they are going to play.”
Rama’s blocks on top of the team’s defensive effort limited the Patriots to a .154 attack percentage, which the Bruins beat by almost .1.compared to almost .1 over that from the Bruins’ end.
“Our block has been effective all year,” Speraw said. “That kept them out of system and gave our block a number of opportunities, so that really was an important part of the match.”
The Bruins recorded 10 blocks throughout the match, with sophomore outside hitter/opposite Ido David a runner-up to Genis with five blocks in the game.
The strength in the Bruins’ block combines with a deep roster in all aspects of the game.
“We had threats all around the court, on the pins, in the middle, which caused a lot of trouble and caused some pressure on the opponents,” Genis said. “We have a really deep team, so opponents don’t know who we are going to play, which means they have to be ready for everything.”
The Bruins’ past eight games have seen differing leaders in all components of the scoreboard. Players are being given the platform to perform and are leveraging their opportunity to do so, Genis added.
“They don’t know who is going to be the hot guy tonight,” Genis said.
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