Saturday, May 6
Fairfax, VA
2:00 PM
UCLA
3
vs
1
Hawai'i
Photo by: UCLA Athletics
MVB Brings Home No. 20 With NCAA Title Win
May 06, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
The top-seeded UCLA men's volleyball team won the 2023 Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Championship in four sets on Saturday over two-time defending champion Hawai'i in EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University. Scores of the match were 28-26, 31-33, 25-21, 25-21. The victory brought home NCAA men's volleyball championship No. 20 for the program, and first since the 2006 season, as well as the 121st overall NCAA title for the school across all sports.
UCLA finishes the season with a record of 31-2 which is the most wins since the 1995 Bruins went 31-1 and also captured the NCAA title. The Bruins ended the season with 12 straight wins to mark the longest streak by the program since the 2006 National Champs won the final 14 contests on the way to the title. UCLA Head Coach John Speraw won his fourth NCAA men's volleyball title as a collegiate head coach – also 2007, 2009, 2012 while at UC Irvine. He helped win three more titles as a UCLA men's volleyball assistant coach – 1996, 1998, 2000 – and also brought home two trophies as a Bruin men's volleyball player in 1993 and 1995 for coach Al Scates.
Sophomore opposite Ido David led the Bruin attack with a season-best 23 kills on a season-high 47 attacks. Senior outside hitter Alex Knight, the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, added a career-high tying 15 kills to go with a pair of aces. Redshirt junior middle blocker Merrick McHenry was the third Bruin in double-digits with 11 kills. Redshirt senior middle blocker J.R. Norris IV came off the bench to supply a career-best five aces. Freshman setter Andrew Rowan totaled a season-high 60 set assists in the contest. Redshirt senior libero Troy Gooch recorded a season-high 15 digs. UCLA, which entered the Tournament as the nation's leader in attack percentage, out hit UH .353 to .299 for the match.
In set one, Hawai'i surged to a 6-9 lead. UCLA leveled the score at 10-all after a Knight kill. Ethan Champlin's swing put UCLA up 14-12. UH rallied and the score was even at points 16-18. Hawai'i added two more for an 18-20 advantage. The Bruins came back with the next two to tie the score at 20-all after a timeout. Bruin errors helped UH go up 20-23. A Norris IV kill, a UH error and a Knight ace put the Bruins even at 23. Hawai'i then had set point at 23-24 only to be denied by a Norris kill. At 24-25, McHenry supplied the answer for a tie at 25. A UH error put UCLA ahead 26-25 and the 'Bows were forced to save a set point. David then registered back-to-back kills for a 28-26 win. UCLA hit .368 for the set and David totaled nine kills.
UCLA jumped out to an 11-8 edge in set two. The Bruins used a kill by Knight, a UH error and a David block for a three-point run and a 16-11 advantage. A Knight / McHenry block put UCLA up 19-13. Hawai'i answered with the next four points to pull within two, at 19-17. A Knight ace made it 22-18, however UH closed to 23-all. The next point went to UH, but a Champlin swing saved the set point and tied the score at 24. With UH up 24-25, a service error let UCLA pull even at 25. At 25-26, Knight's spike saved the set. McHenry's kill kept UCLA alive at 27-all. At 27-28, McHenry provided the kill to once again tie the score. A Hawai'i attack error put UCLA in front 29-28, but UH tied it up on a kill. David's kill put the Bruins up 30-29, only to see the 'Bows answer with a kill. A Hawai'i block sent the defending champs up 30-31 only to see Norris IV's swing save the set point. Two straight Hawai'i putaways ended the set at 31-33. Both teams hit over .300 for the frame.
UH grabbed a 7-9 lead in set three. UCLA tied the score at 10-all on a Knight kill. Another Knight spike lifted UCLA into a 14-12 edge. David's kill and a UH ball handling error upped the margin to 18-14. A block by Rowan increased the gap to 20-15. Hawai'i rallied to close to 21-19 on a block. Norris IV's kill changed the momentum and a Rowan ace made it 23-19. Another Norris IV spike handed UCLA set point at 24-20 and David terminated the set at 25-21 with a smash. The Bruins hit .444 for the set.
UCLA broke an 8-all tie with two straight aces by Norris IV. A David kill and a UH ball handling error increased the lead to 15-11. Hawai'i pulled to within two at 15-13, but UCLA scored three of the next four points for a 18-14 advantage. Two more Norris IV aces put UCLA in charge at 22-16. After UH closed to 23-20, a service error and a Champlin kill produced set and match point at 25-21. Both teams hit under .300 in the frame.
UCLA in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Match (20-7 record):
2023 – (at George Mason): W 3-1 vs. Hawai'i
2018 - (at UCLA): L 2-3 vs. Long Beach State
2006 - (at Penn State): W 3-0 vs. Penn State
2005 - (at UCLA): L 2-3 vs. Pepperdine
2001 - (at Long Beach St.): L 0-3 vs. BYU
2000 - (at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne): W 3-0 vs. Ohio State
1998 – (at Hawai'i): W 3-0 vs. Pepperdine
1997 – (at Ohio State): L 2-3 vs. Stanford
1996 – (at UCLA): W 3-2 vs. Hawai'i
1995 – (at Springfield, Ma.): W 3-0 vs. Penn State
1994 – (at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne): L 2-3 vs. Penn State
1993 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. CSUN
1989 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. Stanford
1987 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. USC
1984 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. Pepperdine
1983 – (at Ohio State): W 3-0 vs. Pepperdine
1982 – (at Penn State): W 3-0 vs. Penn State
1981 – (at UCSB): W 3-2 vs. USC
1980 – (at Ball State): L 1-3 vs. USC
1979 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. USC
1978 – (at Ohio State): L 2-3 vs. Pepperdine
1976 – (Ball State): W 3-0 vs. Pepperdine
1975 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. UC Santa Barbara
1974 – (at UC Santa Barbara): W 3-2 vs. UC Santa Barbara
1972 – (at Ball State): W 3-2 vs. San Diego State
1971 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. UC Santa Barbara
1970 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. Long Beach State
2023 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team
Alex Knight, UCLA (Most Outstanding Player)
Ido David, UCLA
Troy Gooch, UCLA
Jakob Thelle, Hawai'i
Dimitrios Mouchlias, Hawai'i
Mason Briggs, Long Beach State
Brett Wildman, Penn State
Head Coach John Speraw in the NCAA MVB Tournament: 11-4 record
(has coached in five NCAA championship matches with 4-1 record)
2006 – head coach at UC Irvine (0-1 record) lost 2-3 in the semifinals to Penn State (played at Penn State)
2007 – head coach at UC Irvine (2-0 record) defeated Penn State 3-1 in semifinals; defeated Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne 3-1 in championship match (played at Ohio State)
2009 – head coach at UC Irvine (2-0 record) defeated Ohio State 3-0 in semifinals; defeated USC 3-2 in championship match (played at BYU)
2012 – head coach at UC Irvine (2-0 record) defeated Penn State 3-1 in semifinals; defeated USC 3-0 in championship match (played at USC)
2016 – head coach at UCLA (0-1 record) lost 2-3 in the semifinals to Ohio State (played at Penn State)
2018 – head coach at UCLA (2-1 record) defeated Harvard 3-1 in opening match; defeated BYU 3-1 in semifinals; lost to Long Beach State 2-3 in championship match (played at UCLA)
2022 – head coach at UCLA (1-1 record) defeated Pepperdine 3-1 in opening match; lost to Long Beach State 2-3 in semifinals (played at UCLA)
2023 – head coach at UCLA (2-0 record) defeated Long Beach State 3-0 in semifinals; defeated Hawai'i 3-1 in championship match (played at George Mason)
UCLA finishes the season with a record of 31-2 which is the most wins since the 1995 Bruins went 31-1 and also captured the NCAA title. The Bruins ended the season with 12 straight wins to mark the longest streak by the program since the 2006 National Champs won the final 14 contests on the way to the title. UCLA Head Coach John Speraw won his fourth NCAA men's volleyball title as a collegiate head coach – also 2007, 2009, 2012 while at UC Irvine. He helped win three more titles as a UCLA men's volleyball assistant coach – 1996, 1998, 2000 – and also brought home two trophies as a Bruin men's volleyball player in 1993 and 1995 for coach Al Scates.
Sophomore opposite Ido David led the Bruin attack with a season-best 23 kills on a season-high 47 attacks. Senior outside hitter Alex Knight, the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, added a career-high tying 15 kills to go with a pair of aces. Redshirt junior middle blocker Merrick McHenry was the third Bruin in double-digits with 11 kills. Redshirt senior middle blocker J.R. Norris IV came off the bench to supply a career-best five aces. Freshman setter Andrew Rowan totaled a season-high 60 set assists in the contest. Redshirt senior libero Troy Gooch recorded a season-high 15 digs. UCLA, which entered the Tournament as the nation's leader in attack percentage, out hit UH .353 to .299 for the match.
In set one, Hawai'i surged to a 6-9 lead. UCLA leveled the score at 10-all after a Knight kill. Ethan Champlin's swing put UCLA up 14-12. UH rallied and the score was even at points 16-18. Hawai'i added two more for an 18-20 advantage. The Bruins came back with the next two to tie the score at 20-all after a timeout. Bruin errors helped UH go up 20-23. A Norris IV kill, a UH error and a Knight ace put the Bruins even at 23. Hawai'i then had set point at 23-24 only to be denied by a Norris kill. At 24-25, McHenry supplied the answer for a tie at 25. A UH error put UCLA ahead 26-25 and the 'Bows were forced to save a set point. David then registered back-to-back kills for a 28-26 win. UCLA hit .368 for the set and David totaled nine kills.
UCLA jumped out to an 11-8 edge in set two. The Bruins used a kill by Knight, a UH error and a David block for a three-point run and a 16-11 advantage. A Knight / McHenry block put UCLA up 19-13. Hawai'i answered with the next four points to pull within two, at 19-17. A Knight ace made it 22-18, however UH closed to 23-all. The next point went to UH, but a Champlin swing saved the set point and tied the score at 24. With UH up 24-25, a service error let UCLA pull even at 25. At 25-26, Knight's spike saved the set. McHenry's kill kept UCLA alive at 27-all. At 27-28, McHenry provided the kill to once again tie the score. A Hawai'i attack error put UCLA in front 29-28, but UH tied it up on a kill. David's kill put the Bruins up 30-29, only to see the 'Bows answer with a kill. A Hawai'i block sent the defending champs up 30-31 only to see Norris IV's swing save the set point. Two straight Hawai'i putaways ended the set at 31-33. Both teams hit over .300 for the frame.
UH grabbed a 7-9 lead in set three. UCLA tied the score at 10-all on a Knight kill. Another Knight spike lifted UCLA into a 14-12 edge. David's kill and a UH ball handling error upped the margin to 18-14. A block by Rowan increased the gap to 20-15. Hawai'i rallied to close to 21-19 on a block. Norris IV's kill changed the momentum and a Rowan ace made it 23-19. Another Norris IV spike handed UCLA set point at 24-20 and David terminated the set at 25-21 with a smash. The Bruins hit .444 for the set.
UCLA broke an 8-all tie with two straight aces by Norris IV. A David kill and a UH ball handling error increased the lead to 15-11. Hawai'i pulled to within two at 15-13, but UCLA scored three of the next four points for a 18-14 advantage. Two more Norris IV aces put UCLA in charge at 22-16. After UH closed to 23-20, a service error and a Champlin kill produced set and match point at 25-21. Both teams hit under .300 in the frame.
The (second) celebration on Championship point. ??#GoBruins | #UCLA121 pic.twitter.com/xTM8VJtgNp
— UCLA M. Volleyball (@UCLAMVB) May 7, 2023
UCLA in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Match (20-7 record):
2023 – (at George Mason): W 3-1 vs. Hawai'i
2018 - (at UCLA): L 2-3 vs. Long Beach State
2006 - (at Penn State): W 3-0 vs. Penn State
2005 - (at UCLA): L 2-3 vs. Pepperdine
2001 - (at Long Beach St.): L 0-3 vs. BYU
2000 - (at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne): W 3-0 vs. Ohio State
1998 – (at Hawai'i): W 3-0 vs. Pepperdine
1997 – (at Ohio State): L 2-3 vs. Stanford
1996 – (at UCLA): W 3-2 vs. Hawai'i
1995 – (at Springfield, Ma.): W 3-0 vs. Penn State
1994 – (at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne): L 2-3 vs. Penn State
1993 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. CSUN
1989 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. Stanford
1987 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. USC
1984 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. Pepperdine
1983 – (at Ohio State): W 3-0 vs. Pepperdine
1982 – (at Penn State): W 3-0 vs. Penn State
1981 – (at UCSB): W 3-2 vs. USC
1980 – (at Ball State): L 1-3 vs. USC
1979 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. USC
1978 – (at Ohio State): L 2-3 vs. Pepperdine
1976 – (Ball State): W 3-0 vs. Pepperdine
1975 – (at UCLA): W 3-1 vs. UC Santa Barbara
1974 – (at UC Santa Barbara): W 3-2 vs. UC Santa Barbara
1972 – (at Ball State): W 3-2 vs. San Diego State
1971 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. UC Santa Barbara
1970 – (at UCLA): W 3-0 vs. Long Beach State
2023 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team
Alex Knight, UCLA (Most Outstanding Player)
Ido David, UCLA
Troy Gooch, UCLA
Jakob Thelle, Hawai'i
Dimitrios Mouchlias, Hawai'i
Mason Briggs, Long Beach State
Brett Wildman, Penn State
Head Coach John Speraw in the NCAA MVB Tournament: 11-4 record
(has coached in five NCAA championship matches with 4-1 record)
2006 – head coach at UC Irvine (0-1 record) lost 2-3 in the semifinals to Penn State (played at Penn State)
2007 – head coach at UC Irvine (2-0 record) defeated Penn State 3-1 in semifinals; defeated Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne 3-1 in championship match (played at Ohio State)
2009 – head coach at UC Irvine (2-0 record) defeated Ohio State 3-0 in semifinals; defeated USC 3-2 in championship match (played at BYU)
2012 – head coach at UC Irvine (2-0 record) defeated Penn State 3-1 in semifinals; defeated USC 3-0 in championship match (played at USC)
2016 – head coach at UCLA (0-1 record) lost 2-3 in the semifinals to Ohio State (played at Penn State)
2018 – head coach at UCLA (2-1 record) defeated Harvard 3-1 in opening match; defeated BYU 3-1 in semifinals; lost to Long Beach State 2-3 in championship match (played at UCLA)
2022 – head coach at UCLA (1-1 record) defeated Pepperdine 3-1 in opening match; lost to Long Beach State 2-3 in semifinals (played at UCLA)
2023 – head coach at UCLA (2-0 record) defeated Long Beach State 3-0 in semifinals; defeated Hawai'i 3-1 in championship match (played at George Mason)