No. 3 Bruins Beat No. 13 Buckeyes in Four Sets
February 01, 2025 | Men's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 3 UCLA men's volleyball program earned a 3-1 win over No. 13 Ohio State to close out the B1G Challenge hosted by Ohio State. Set scores on Saturday evening were 23-25, 25-19, 25-22, 26-24.
Three Bruins finished with double-digit kills on Saturday. Cooper Robinson led the way with a match-high 17, while Zach Rama and David Decker, who earned his first career start on Saturday night, recorded 11 each.
On the night, the Bruins hit .327 as a team, recorded 12 service aces, and added as 25 total blocks. In the block department Cameron Thorne and Thiago Zamprogno led the Bruins with six block assists each.
Ohio State took a 23-17 lead in the first set before the Bruins rattled off four points in a row to make it a 23-21 advantage in favor of OSU. Unfortunately for the Bruins, OSU earned the set a few points later 25-23, and took a 1-0 lead in the match into the second set.
As for the second set the Bruins raced out to a 4-1 lead courtesy of a couple blocks from Zamprogno and Thorne.
After Ohio State tied it back up at 6-6, the Bruins went on a 4-1 run. Thorne earned a kill and then an ace to put the Bruins up a pair before Decker recorded another ace and a kill on the next possession to give UCLA a 11-7 lead.
Ohio State clawed a few points back before the Bruins took a 16-12 lead courtesy of a scramble play by the Bruins that involved Rama digging the ball from lying on his back before Robinson slammed it home.
A service error from Ohio State pushed the Bruins lead to 23-18, before Rama added an ace to make it set point for the Bruins.
Robinson then finished off the set for the Bruins with his third kill of the match, as UCLA tied things up at 1-1 heading to the third set.
OSU utilized a 3-0 run to take a 5-2 advantage early on in the third set before the Bruins started chipping away at the lead.
Decker recorded a kill and Zamprogno earned a block to make it a 13-8 Ohio State advantage. UCLA continued to fight their way back as a Robinson ace made it a 14-11 OSU advantage. Decker made it a two-point deficit at 16-14 courtesy of his eighth kill of the night.
An Andrew Rowan service ace pulled the Bruins within a pair, 19-21, before Robinson slammed another kill home and the deficit was halved, 20-21, and the Buckeyes called a timeout.
After the Bruins tied the set at 22-22, Robinson recorded back-to-back aces to get the Bruins t0 set point.
Decker then stole the third set for the Bruins on the next serve, as UCLA earned the set three win 25-22, and took a 2-1 lead into the fourth set.
The Buckeyes opened up a 7-4 advantage to open the fourth set before the Bruins responded with three of the next four points to make it a one-point deficit, 7-8, courtesy of Decker's 10th kill of the evening.
Kahale Clini tied the set at 15-15 with UCLA's 12th service ace of the night, as the Bruins continued their comeback bid. The two squads then would trade points before Thorne recorded a kill, and Robinson and Zamprogno combined for a block to give UCLA a 20-18 lead.
The Bruins and Buckeyes traded points for the next few possessions before the Bruins took a 25-24 and had their second match point of the evening. In the ensuing point the Buckeyes hit high of the block and out of play to give the Bruins a 26-24 set four win, and took the match 3-1.
Three Bruins finished with double-digit kills on Saturday. Cooper Robinson led the way with a match-high 17, while Zach Rama and David Decker, who earned his first career start on Saturday night, recorded 11 each.
On the night, the Bruins hit .327 as a team, recorded 12 service aces, and added as 25 total blocks. In the block department Cameron Thorne and Thiago Zamprogno led the Bruins with six block assists each.
Ohio State took a 23-17 lead in the first set before the Bruins rattled off four points in a row to make it a 23-21 advantage in favor of OSU. Unfortunately for the Bruins, OSU earned the set a few points later 25-23, and took a 1-0 lead in the match into the second set.
As for the second set the Bruins raced out to a 4-1 lead courtesy of a couple blocks from Zamprogno and Thorne.
After Ohio State tied it back up at 6-6, the Bruins went on a 4-1 run. Thorne earned a kill and then an ace to put the Bruins up a pair before Decker recorded another ace and a kill on the next possession to give UCLA a 11-7 lead.
Ohio State clawed a few points back before the Bruins took a 16-12 lead courtesy of a scramble play by the Bruins that involved Rama digging the ball from lying on his back before Robinson slammed it home.
things we love to see: this
— UCLA M. Volleyball (@UCLAMVB) February 2, 2025
??: B1G+#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/h0PTJD7FQL
A service error from Ohio State pushed the Bruins lead to 23-18, before Rama added an ace to make it set point for the Bruins.
Robinson then finished off the set for the Bruins with his third kill of the match, as UCLA tied things up at 1-1 heading to the third set.
OSU utilized a 3-0 run to take a 5-2 advantage early on in the third set before the Bruins started chipping away at the lead.
Decker recorded a kill and Zamprogno earned a block to make it a 13-8 Ohio State advantage. UCLA continued to fight their way back as a Robinson ace made it a 14-11 OSU advantage. Decker made it a two-point deficit at 16-14 courtesy of his eighth kill of the night.
An Andrew Rowan service ace pulled the Bruins within a pair, 19-21, before Robinson slammed another kill home and the deficit was halved, 20-21, and the Buckeyes called a timeout.
After the Bruins tied the set at 22-22, Robinson recorded back-to-back aces to get the Bruins t0 set point.
BACK-TO-BACK ACES COOPER ROBINSON
— UCLA M. Volleyball (@UCLAMVB) February 2, 2025
??: B1G+#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Z3fjQ8WrVI
Decker then stole the third set for the Bruins on the next serve, as UCLA earned the set three win 25-22, and took a 2-1 lead into the fourth set.
The Buckeyes opened up a 7-4 advantage to open the fourth set before the Bruins responded with three of the next four points to make it a one-point deficit, 7-8, courtesy of Decker's 10th kill of the evening.
Kahale Clini tied the set at 15-15 with UCLA's 12th service ace of the night, as the Bruins continued their comeback bid. The two squads then would trade points before Thorne recorded a kill, and Robinson and Zamprogno combined for a block to give UCLA a 20-18 lead.
The Bruins and Buckeyes traded points for the next few possessions before the Bruins took a 25-24 and had their second match point of the evening. In the ensuing point the Buckeyes hit high of the block and out of play to give the Bruins a 26-24 set four win, and took the match 3-1.
Team Stats
UCLA
OSU
Kills
48
49
Errors
15
18
Attempts
101
106
Hitting %
.327
.292
Points
72.5
60.0
Assists
46
45
Aces
12
7
Blocks
12.5
4
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Players Mentioned
Highlights - Men's Volleyball vs. Hawai'i, NCAA Semifinals (May 10, 2025)
Sunday, May 11
Highlights - Men's Volleyball vs. Belmont Abbey, NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals (May 8, 2025)
Thursday, May 08
Men’s Volleyball - NCAA Travel Day Vlog ft. Matthew Aziz
Wednesday, May 07
Highlights - UCLA Men's Volleyball vs. #5 USC (4/17/25)
Friday, April 18