Life doesn’t give second chances.
But the Bruins will get a shot at redemption.
In a rematch of the 2025 NCAA championship, No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (8-0, 2-0 MPSF) will face off against No. 2 Long Beach State (8-0) on Friday night at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in Long Beach, California.
“Obviously, there’s a chip on our shoulder from losing to them at the end of last year,” said senior setter Andrew Rowan. “We’re definitely looking to get our revenge.”
Rowan, whose ace capped off an NCAA-record 94-point set Jan. 29 against Ohio State, comes into Friday’s contest with 318 total assists on the year. His most frequent recipient has been senior outside hitter Zach Rama, who has posted a team-leading 105 kills on a .438 hitting percentage this season.
Both Rowan and Rama are no strangers to the Beach.
The pair played in all three sets of the 2025 NCAA championship loss and will face familiar foes once again.
Long Beach returns 12 players from last season, including 2025 AVCA First Team All-American opposite Skyler Varga. In 2026, Varga has notched a team-high 79 kills on a .416 clip, adding 27 aces as well. Outside hitter Alex Kandev, who helped spearhead the Beach’s championship victory with 13 kills, complements Varga at the net.
But Long Beach is not without significant departures since taking the throne. Three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year Alan Knipe left the program after 22 seasons at the helm. Leading the Beach to 13 MPSF tournament appearances and four NCAA titles, Knipe had a .723 winning percentage during his coaching career.
Moni Nikolov, the 2025 AVCA National Collegiate Player of the Year, also left, opting to play professionally in Russia. The Sofia, Bulgaria, local recorded 173 kills on a .398 clip last season. He had 1,109 total assists and 106 service aces, with the latter leading all players in the Big West. Nikolov was also crowned the 2025 NCAA Tournament MVP after helping his team sweep the Bruins.
“We’re not thinking about last year,” said coach John Hawks. “Last year is last year. We’re thinking about that first point and being great in their gym.”
That gym was once redshirt junior libero and Long Beach transfer Christopher Connelly’s home. After seeing action in only 15 matches for the Beach last season, Connelly has assumed a more prominent role for the Bruins this season. The Naples, Florida, local has appeared in all of UCLA’s first eight matches thus far, tallying 46 total digs, including a career-high 11 against Ohio State.
“It’s going to be a great game,” Connelly said. “It’s going to be hyped up a lot and overall a very positive experience.”
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