This post was updated April 30 at 9:07 p.m.
LONG BEACH – John Speraw has long stressed the importance of coming out the gates firing.
In the coach’s past two matches, his team failed to complete the task.
Tuesday, however, was different.
No. 1 seed UCLA men’s volleyball (24-5, 11-1 MPSF) came out firing in each set to tear through No. 8 seed Fort Valley State (17-9, 10-0 SIAC) 3-0 in Tuesday’s NCAA quarterfinals at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach. UCLA’s animation off the bat – and steady demeanor throughout – propelled the squad to a .524 hitting percentage in the first set and .521 overall.
The opportunity for the Bruins to feel out the national tournament’s home court proved imperative for the upcoming week.
“It’s good to get out onto the court and play this match and get one behind you in the gym,” Speraw said. “This is a unique gym, obviously – the depth perception of where the lights are is unique, and so for us to get out there and have some success is important.”
After holding the Wildcats to a slim .04 hitting percentage in the first frame, the Bruin defense continued to exert its prowess against the SIAC champions. The Wildcats hit at a barren .000 clip in the second set, a figure that culminated in .000 for the match following a third frame that sunk into the negatives.
Speraw’s offense is marked by its depth – a recipe for the team’s success this season. Ten different Bruin attackers contributed to the team’s kill tally, with five pouring in at least six kills each.
“We talk a lot about how every person is important no matter where you’re on the depth chart, no matter your age,” said redshirt senior middle blocker Merrick McHenry. “It was great to see guys get the chance to play, guys who come in every day, guys in practice who are impersonating other teams and making sure that we are getting better every single day.”
The 2024 AVCA First-Team All-American duo of McHenry and senior outside hitter Ethan Champlin spearheaded UCLA’s attack. The latter finished with eight kills on a .400 clip, adding an ace and four digs to commence his final national tournament run.
Despite the veterans’ command, junior outside hitter/opposite Ido David served as the Bruins’ X-factor in their sweep over the Wildcats. David, who started for the first time since April 11, unleashed seven kills on a .636 clip alongside two aces and three digs. The 2023 AVCA First-Team All-American had not reached seven kills since a sweep of Concordia University Irvine on April 11.
The trio’s offensive barrage was buttressed by its efficiency – David and McHenry’s seven respective kills came alongside zero attacking errors. The dynamic partnership hit at .636 and .778, respectively.
“The biggest correlation between winning and losing is offensive hitting percentages. So we hit over .500, and I think everybody hit well,” Speraw said. “It was a team effort in that regard.”
Despite UCLA’s dominance at the net, lackluster efforts behind the service line proved to be its Achilles heel, and they allowed the Wildcats to stay within a whisker of the Bruins for half of the second set.
With UCLA’s 2023 national title looming in the shadows, the team has adopted a short-term memory in order to focus on the task at hand.
“We have been here before, and we know what it is like to play in a national championship game,” Champlin said. “But none of these teams really care that we won last year. They’re fighting for their chance this year, and there are a lot of good teams out there.”
Although the Bruins struggled to keep services in play – committing 18 errors – they managed to carve out their first win of the national tournament and advance to Thursday’s semifinal.
“It’s always tough to get out there the first time no matter who you’re playing. There’s always nerves. There’s always a new environment and new feelings, especially when you could play a conference tournament and lose and still move on,” Speraw said. “Now that’s all over. You have to win in order to move on.”
