University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Milan Zarkovic Named AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year
May 07, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ UCLA men's volleyball associate head coach Milan Zarkovic was named the AVCA Men's Div. I-II Volleyball National Assistant Coach of the Year in an announcement Thursday morning by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. In his first season with the Bruins, Zarkovic focuses his coaching skills on developing the Bruins both on and off the court.
Zarkovic's efforts in both phases helped UCLA rise to No. 1 in the nation in the rankings in 2026 throughout the season and produce the nation's highest hitting percentage this season at .380.
Under the UCLA staff in 2026, the Bruins produced seven All-American selections, including four first team selections as Andrew Rowan, Sean Kelly, Zach Rama, and Cameron Thorne were all named to the first team. Micah Wong Diallo, David Decker and Christopher Connelly were also named All-American honorable mention, giving UCLA seven total selections, the most of any school.
The Bruins had a historic season in 2026, finishing with a record of 29-2 and winning both the MPSF regular-season and tournament championships. The MPSF Tournament championship marked UCLA's first MPSF title since 2022, and just the third MPSF tournament championship since 2007.
UCLA's 29 wins marks the fifth year in a row that the Bruins have won at least 22 matches in a year, it also marks the Bruins most conference wins (13) in a season since 2021.
ย At the close of the 2026 MPSF season, six Bruins earned spots on all-conference teams, as Rowan, Rama, Thorne and Kelly all earned first-team honors. Rowan was also named MPSF Player of the Year, UCLA's third-straight winner after Cooper Robinson in 2025 and Merrick McHenry in 2024.
The Assistant Coach of the Year Award will be presented at the AVCA Convention this fall.
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Zarkovic's efforts in both phases helped UCLA rise to No. 1 in the nation in the rankings in 2026 throughout the season and produce the nation's highest hitting percentage this season at .380.
Under the UCLA staff in 2026, the Bruins produced seven All-American selections, including four first team selections as Andrew Rowan, Sean Kelly, Zach Rama, and Cameron Thorne were all named to the first team. Micah Wong Diallo, David Decker and Christopher Connelly were also named All-American honorable mention, giving UCLA seven total selections, the most of any school.
The Bruins had a historic season in 2026, finishing with a record of 29-2 and winning both the MPSF regular-season and tournament championships. The MPSF Tournament championship marked UCLA's first MPSF title since 2022, and just the third MPSF tournament championship since 2007.
UCLA's 29 wins marks the fifth year in a row that the Bruins have won at least 22 matches in a year, it also marks the Bruins most conference wins (13) in a season since 2021.
ย At the close of the 2026 MPSF season, six Bruins earned spots on all-conference teams, as Rowan, Rama, Thorne and Kelly all earned first-team honors. Rowan was also named MPSF Player of the Year, UCLA's third-straight winner after Cooper Robinson in 2025 and Merrick McHenry in 2024.
The Assistant Coach of the Year Award will be presented at the AVCA Convention this fall.
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Players Mentioned
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