By Nadia Garabedian

On Thursday, April 17th, 2025, the UCLA Men’s Volleyball team played against their rivals, the University of Southern California Trojans. In a close match up between the #2 ranked Bruins and the #5 ranked Trojans, the two teams played all five sets, with the Bruins ultimately winning 3-2. The stands of Pauley Pavilion were filled with many fans, including students, alumni, and family and friends of the players, as well as the UCLA Marching Band playing intermittently throughout the match.

Prior to the commencement of the game, the seniors on both the UCLA and USC teams were honored and recognized for their hard work throughout their volleyball careers. Seniors on the UCLA team were escorted by their family and friends to share in the commemorative ceremony. Met with applause and celebration, these seniors were honored for their continued dedication to the team. 

Following the Senior Night ceremony, the Bruins and Trojans began their first set, which ended in a 25-22 win for the Trojans. The Bruins won the second set with the same score, but reversed, 25-22. In the third set, the Bruins took the victory yet again, with the score 25-17. Since neither team had won three sets yet, the Bruins and Trojans had to face off in a fourth set, which ended with the Trojans being triumphant with a score of 25-23. Following the fourth set, the teams battled for the champion title in the fifth set. The score of fifth sets only goes up to 15, with both teams switching sides when the first team arrives at 8 points. In a hard fought set, the UCLA Bruins beat the Trojans with a score of 15-11. 

Although UCLA won against their rivals on their own turf in Pauley Pavilion on the 17th, they lost to the Trojans on April 19th, 2025, with the score of all three sets being recorded as 25-22.