University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Men's Volleyball Awarded Top Seed in NCAA Tournament
April 26, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 1 UCLA men's volleyball program earned the No. 1 overall seed into the NCAA Men's Collegiate Volleyball Championship, the NCAA announced on Sunday. UCLA will play the winner of UC Irvine and Penn State in the regional final at 5 pm PT on May 2 inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial.
UC Irvine and Penn State will square off on Friday, May 1, for a spot in the regional final. That game will take place at Pauley Pavilion at 6 pm PT.
The NCAA semifinals and finals will be hosted by UCLA inside Pauley Pavilion. The semifinals are slated for May 9, and the national collegiate final will be played on Monday, May 11.
2026 marks the fifth straight season in which the Bruins have received a bid to the NCAA Men's Collegiate Volleyball Championship. Last season, the Bruins secured an at-large bid and won the MPSF Regular Season championship before going on to the NCAA men's volleyball title match, where the Bruins fell to Long Beach State in the final.
This season, UCLA has compiled a 29-1 record and won both the MPSF regular-season and tournament titles.
The Bruins are 11-1 in games against the tournament field in 2026. UCLA is 1-0 vs. Ball State (won 3-1 on Jan. 17), 1-0 vs. Loyola Chicago (won 3-0 on Jan. 18), 1-0 vs. Fort Valley State (won 3-0 on Jan. 22), 1-0 vs. Hawai'i (won 3-0 on March 14), 2-0 vs. Long Beach State (won 3-2 on Feb. 6, won 3-1 on Feb. 20), 1-1 vs. Pepperdine ( lost 2-3 on April 2, won 3-1 on April 4), 1-0 vs. UC Irvine (won 3-2 on Feb. 27), 3-0 vs. USC (won 3-2 on March 3, won 3-1 on March 6, won 3-1 on April 25).
UCLA heads into the tournament with a plethora of postseason experience. Five of UCLA's seven starters have started in a national collegiate men's volleyball final, and David Decker, Andrew Rowan, Zach Rama and Chris Connelly have all won a national championship prior to the 2026 season.
Statistically, the Bruins head into the tournament with the nation's highest hitting percentage with MPSF Player of the Year, Andrew Rowan, dictating the offense. Sean Kelly, Andrew Rowan, Zach Rama, and Cameron Thorne were all named to the 2026 MPSF first team, while David Decker and Micah Wong Diallo earned spots on the MPSF second team.
Click here for the full interactive bracket.
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UC Irvine and Penn State will square off on Friday, May 1, for a spot in the regional final. That game will take place at Pauley Pavilion at 6 pm PT.
The NCAA semifinals and finals will be hosted by UCLA inside Pauley Pavilion. The semifinals are slated for May 9, and the national collegiate final will be played on Monday, May 11.
2026 marks the fifth straight season in which the Bruins have received a bid to the NCAA Men's Collegiate Volleyball Championship. Last season, the Bruins secured an at-large bid and won the MPSF Regular Season championship before going on to the NCAA men's volleyball title match, where the Bruins fell to Long Beach State in the final.
This season, UCLA has compiled a 29-1 record and won both the MPSF regular-season and tournament titles.
The Bruins are 11-1 in games against the tournament field in 2026. UCLA is 1-0 vs. Ball State (won 3-1 on Jan. 17), 1-0 vs. Loyola Chicago (won 3-0 on Jan. 18), 1-0 vs. Fort Valley State (won 3-0 on Jan. 22), 1-0 vs. Hawai'i (won 3-0 on March 14), 2-0 vs. Long Beach State (won 3-2 on Feb. 6, won 3-1 on Feb. 20), 1-1 vs. Pepperdine ( lost 2-3 on April 2, won 3-1 on April 4), 1-0 vs. UC Irvine (won 3-2 on Feb. 27), 3-0 vs. USC (won 3-2 on March 3, won 3-1 on March 6, won 3-1 on April 25).
UCLA heads into the tournament with a plethora of postseason experience. Five of UCLA's seven starters have started in a national collegiate men's volleyball final, and David Decker, Andrew Rowan, Zach Rama and Chris Connelly have all won a national championship prior to the 2026 season.
Statistically, the Bruins head into the tournament with the nation's highest hitting percentage with MPSF Player of the Year, Andrew Rowan, dictating the offense. Sean Kelly, Andrew Rowan, Zach Rama, and Cameron Thorne were all named to the 2026 MPSF first team, while David Decker and Micah Wong Diallo earned spots on the MPSF second team.
Click here for the full interactive bracket.
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Players Mentioned
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