Saturday, April 4
Los Angeles, CA
5:00 p.m. PT
Pepperdine University
18-5,9-1MPSFMVB
1
at
3
UCLA
21-1,8-1MPSFMVB
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine | 29 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 1 |
| UCLA | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Kelly Nugent
No. 6 Men’s Volleyball Drops Four Set Match to No. 1 UCLA
4/4/2026 9:14:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The No.6 Pepperdine men's volleyball team (18–5, 9-1 MPSF) grabbed the first set against UCLA (21-1, 8-1 MPSF) before dropping the rematch in four Saturday night in Pauley Pavilion.
"UCLA played great tonight in all phases and all players on their team performed at a top level. We were the opposite tonight, just too inconsistent in key areas like serving and passing," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "It was good to compete this week and we'll be ready to get after this week in training to be ready for two more tough matches at home this weekend."
Pepperdine opened the match on a tear, hitting .696 in the opening stretch. Jose Gomez had the longest stretch behind the service line, where three straight Bruin errors gave Pepperdine an early 10-8 lead. With five different set point opportunities, the Waves fended off the Bruins off back-to-back kills from Noe Matthey and Cole Hartke to take the opening set 29-27, led by Hartke who recorded seven of Pepperdine's 17 kills.
Out of system in the second set, the Waves were never comfortable on the offensive end. With a negative attacking percentage, Pepperdine could not find a rhythm as the top-ranked Bruins evened up the match 1-1, beating the Waves 25-16. Six different players recorded seven kills with James Eadie being the sole Wave to record multiple kills down the stretch.
Figuring out the offense in the third stretch, Bruin aces put the Waves in a 4-1 hole early they would never climb out of. Getting within two at 14-12, a 6-1 UCLA run put the set out of reach as the Waves were now in a 2-1 deficit in the match, dropping the third 25-17. Hartke and Ryan Barnett split the most kills in the third with four kills apiece.
Keeping the fourth set close, the Waves recorded the least amount of attacking errors outside of the first with just two compared to UCLA's four. Barnett carried the Waves, recording six of the team's 10 kills as the team hit .471. Matching the Bruins' 2.0 blocks, Pepperdine was toe-to-toe with the number one team in the nation and a couple unlucky breaks away from forcing a fifth set for the second time in three days. The Waves dropped the fourth and final set 25-22 to lose the match 3-1.
Back home this weekend, the Waves welcome the Cardinal of Stanford to Malibu Friday and Saturday. Friday is Admitted Waves Day and Saturday is Faith and Family Night. First serve both nights will be at 6 p.m. with the match available to stream on B1G+ (subscription required). Live stats will be available at www.pepperdinewaves.com.
PEPPERDINE VS. UCLA
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set K E TA Pct
1 17 1 23 .696
2 7 8 21 -.048
3 13 3 21 .476
4 10 2 17 .471
UCLA ATTACK BY SET
Set K E TA Pct
1 18 7 32 .344
2 12 5 18 .389
3 14 1 22 .591
4 11 4 24 .292
GAME NOTES
• Ryan Barnett led the Waves with 15 kills, followed closely by Cole Hartke who had 12.
• Andrej Polomac recorded 42 of the team's 47 assists.
• Three different Waves notched service aces tonight.
• Outblocking the Bruins 10.0 to 8.5, James Eadie led the team with six blocks.
• Nine different Waves recorded digs tonight to account for a team 20 digs.
• Hartke had the highest number of solo blocks with two.
• There were a total of 31 ties and eight lead changes tonight.
• Barnett also led the team in accuracy, recording just two attacking errors to hit .565.
• Pepperdine outhit UCLA .402 to .396.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men's volleyball news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMVB
"UCLA played great tonight in all phases and all players on their team performed at a top level. We were the opposite tonight, just too inconsistent in key areas like serving and passing," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "It was good to compete this week and we'll be ready to get after this week in training to be ready for two more tough matches at home this weekend."
Pepperdine opened the match on a tear, hitting .696 in the opening stretch. Jose Gomez had the longest stretch behind the service line, where three straight Bruin errors gave Pepperdine an early 10-8 lead. With five different set point opportunities, the Waves fended off the Bruins off back-to-back kills from Noe Matthey and Cole Hartke to take the opening set 29-27, led by Hartke who recorded seven of Pepperdine's 17 kills.
Out of system in the second set, the Waves were never comfortable on the offensive end. With a negative attacking percentage, Pepperdine could not find a rhythm as the top-ranked Bruins evened up the match 1-1, beating the Waves 25-16. Six different players recorded seven kills with James Eadie being the sole Wave to record multiple kills down the stretch.
Figuring out the offense in the third stretch, Bruin aces put the Waves in a 4-1 hole early they would never climb out of. Getting within two at 14-12, a 6-1 UCLA run put the set out of reach as the Waves were now in a 2-1 deficit in the match, dropping the third 25-17. Hartke and Ryan Barnett split the most kills in the third with four kills apiece.
Keeping the fourth set close, the Waves recorded the least amount of attacking errors outside of the first with just two compared to UCLA's four. Barnett carried the Waves, recording six of the team's 10 kills as the team hit .471. Matching the Bruins' 2.0 blocks, Pepperdine was toe-to-toe with the number one team in the nation and a couple unlucky breaks away from forcing a fifth set for the second time in three days. The Waves dropped the fourth and final set 25-22 to lose the match 3-1.
Back home this weekend, the Waves welcome the Cardinal of Stanford to Malibu Friday and Saturday. Friday is Admitted Waves Day and Saturday is Faith and Family Night. First serve both nights will be at 6 p.m. with the match available to stream on B1G+ (subscription required). Live stats will be available at www.pepperdinewaves.com.
PEPPERDINE VS. UCLA
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set K E TA Pct
1 17 1 23 .696
2 7 8 21 -.048
3 13 3 21 .476
4 10 2 17 .471
UCLA ATTACK BY SET
Set K E TA Pct
1 18 7 32 .344
2 12 5 18 .389
3 14 1 22 .591
4 11 4 24 .292
GAME NOTES
• Ryan Barnett led the Waves with 15 kills, followed closely by Cole Hartke who had 12.
• Andrej Polomac recorded 42 of the team's 47 assists.
• Three different Waves notched service aces tonight.
• Outblocking the Bruins 10.0 to 8.5, James Eadie led the team with six blocks.
• Nine different Waves recorded digs tonight to account for a team 20 digs.
• Hartke had the highest number of solo blocks with two.
• There were a total of 31 ties and eight lead changes tonight.
• Barnett also led the team in accuracy, recording just two attacking errors to hit .565.
• Pepperdine outhit UCLA .402 to .396.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men's volleyball news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMVB
Team Stats
PEP
UCLA
Kills
47
55
Errors
14
17
Attempts
82
96
Hitting %
.402
.396
Points
60.0
73.5
Assists
47
51
Aces
3
10
Blocks
10
8.5
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballOH/OPP
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's Volleyball
