The UCLA men’s volleyball team earned an at-large bid and was named the No. 3 seed in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Collegiate Volleyball Championship. The Bruins will face No. 6 seed Belmont Abbey on Thursday, May 8, in the quarterfinals at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by Ohio State University.
UCLA, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular-season champions, holds a 20-6 record. This marks their 31st appearance in the NCAA tournament, and the team is aiming for its 22nd NCAA men’s volleyball title, including three consecutive championships. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Tournament Format and Key Matchups
The tournament will run from May 8 to May 12, with the national semifinals scheduled for May 10. The early session winners from the quarterfinals will meet at 5 p.m. PT, and the evening session winners will compete in the other semifinal at 2 p.m. PT. Both semifinals will be streamed on ESPN+. The championship match will take place on Monday, May 12, at 4 p.m. PT, and will be televised on ESPN2.
A Strong Season for the Bruins
This marks UCLA’s fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Last season, they secured the MPSF Regular Season championship and won their 21st NCAA title with a four-set victory over Long Beach State in Long Beach, California.
This season, the Bruins hold a 3-3 record against the tournament field. They are 2-0 against Penn State, 0-2 versus Long Beach State, and 2-1 against Pepperdine. Under first-year head coach John Hawks, UCLA has maintained consistency, securing 20 or more wins for the fourth consecutive season. They finished first in the MPSF regular-season standings with a 10-2 record.
Key Players for UCLA
UCLA ranks third in the nation for attack percentage, led by MPSF Player of the Year Cooper Robinson. The team also boasts multiple All-MPSF selections, including Andrew Rowan, Zach Rama, and Cameron Thorne, who were named to the 2025 MPSF first team. Sean Kelly earned honorable mention and all-freshman team honors.
2025 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Schedule
All matches will be played at Ohio State’s Covelli Center. All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time.
May 8 – Quarterfinals (stream on ESPN+)
No. 3 seed UCLA vs. No. 6 seed Belmont Abbey – 8:00 a.m. PT
No. 2 seed Hawai’i vs. No. 7 Daemen or Penn State – 10:30 a.m. PT
No. 1 seed Long Beach State vs. No. 8 seed Fort Valley State – 2:00 p.m. PT
No. 4 seed Loyola Chicago vs. No. 5 Pepperdine – 4:30 p.m. PT
May 10 – Semifinal Matches (stream on ESPN+)
Semifinal 1 – 5:00 p.m. PT
Semifinal 2 – 2:00 p.m. PT
May 12 – National Championship (TV: ESPN2)
Championship Match – 4:00 p.m. PT
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