This post was updated Jan. 20 at 9:23 p.m.
New year. New coach. New players. Same result.
No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (2-1) fell to No. 13 Ohio State in four sets Saturday evening at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. In an outcome reminiscent of last year’s First Point Collegiate Challenge – in which the Bruins blew a two-set lead against the Buckeyes for their first loss of the campaign – the Bruins split 2025’s iteration of the invitational.
UCLA’s defense wasn’t enough to overcome a lack of offensive synergy, while a 27-15 service error margin helped sink the team for the first time this season.
The Bruins rallied to win the third set after dropping the first two but – unlike when they faced the Buckeyes in 2024 – lost the fourth frame 25-17.
In the first set, the Buckeyes jumped out to a 7-3 lead that they held for the entire frame, following service errors from senior outside hitter/opposite Ido David.
“We missed too many serves coming right out of the gate. We had five hitting errors right in the first part of the match, which is uncharacteristic for us,” said coach John Hawks. “We kind of put ourselves on our heels at that point and just couldn’t rebound from the service line.”
Despite junior outside hitter Zach Rama’s four kills and one block assist, the Bruins’ nine service errors and seven attacking errors were too much to overcome as the Buckeyes claimed the frame 25-20.
David continued to struggle throughout the match, as his six kills were offset by five service errors and three attacking errors – resulting in a .250 hitting percentage for the match. While redshirt junior Cooper Robinson recorded 11 kills, the outside hitter wasn’t able to find a groove – committing three attacking and four service errors.
Sparked by junior middle blocker Cameron Thorne’s four blocks, UCLA took a brief lead midway through a closely contested second set that ultimately went Ohio State’s way by 26-24.
“I trusted our coaches and them telling me what to do blockingwise, and it was good execution from the whole team,” Thorne said.
While the Bruins would ultimately come up short, they out-blocked the Buckeyes 12-5.
“Volleyball is this emotional game, right? You’re struggling from other parts of the game, and it really takes one or two plays to spark you,” Hawks said.
Ohio State opposite Shane Wetzel headlined the second set with four kills and a service ace. Although the Buckeyes fell behind in hit percentage, digs, blocks and kills, Wetzel’s 10 kills and outside hitter Stanislaw Chacinski’s nine kept the Buckeyes afloat despite a .230 team hitting percentage.
Facing elimination, the Bruins beat the Buckeyes 25-13 in the third set, highlighted by two late kills from Rama.
“I shifted my focus, trying to find other ways to get points for my team,” Thorne said. “You got to try and stay together and lean on each other when those times come, because that’s really what’s going to get us through.”
However, after being tied at three early in the fourth set, the Buckeyes pulled away with an 8-0 run – a lead they would never relinquish – resulting in both frame and match victories. Rama tied a career high with 21 kills and added three blocks plus an ace to his Saturday performance.
“It’s been a bit of a disjointed schedule with the fires and us getting relocated for a little bit, but I know our guys are going to get in, put in the work and do what they need to do to get better,” Hawks said.
The Bruins return to Pauley Pavilion on Thursday to begin MPSF play, facing UC San Diego in UCLA’s home opener.
“I’m super excited to just get back in Pauley, show out for our LA fans and get a win for the city,” Thorne said. “We’re all trying to get back in the lab and practice so we can execute when we play.”
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