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Outside attacker Cooper Robinson stepped up when No. 3/3 UCLA needed it the most.
Robinson in the decisive fifth game led all players with five kills and added an ace as UCLA defeated No. 2/2 UC Irvine 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-14, 15-10 on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The junior opened the final game with a kill and then delivered an ace to cap off a 5-1 run. In addition, Robinson had back-to-back kills midway through the game to help the Bruins secure the non-conference win in front of a home crowd of 2,512 people.
Robinson had nine kills in the final two games with the Bruins facing a one-game deficit and finished the match with 15 kills on a .444 attack percentage.
Two Bruins ended with at least 15 kills against the Anteaters. The team out-hit UC Irvine .406 to .307 and had a match-best .667 attack percentage in the fifth team.
Middle attacker Cameron Thorne led UCLA with a career-high 17 kills on a .842 attack percentage. Thorne’s only attack error the entire match occurred early in the third game en route to hitting more than .800 for the third time this season.
Thorne defensively also had a team-high six blocks, including two blocks as part of the Bruins’ 5-1 run to start the fifth game.
UCLA in the victory had 13 aces – 10 more aces than UC Irvine.
Pin-hitter Zach Rama had back-to-back aces in the fifth game and ended the match with three aces. Opposite Ido David added a match-high four aces, while Thorne contributed three aces.
UC Irvine outside attacker Hilir Henno led all players with 21 kills and was one of two Anteaters with double-digit kills. Opposite Nolan Flexen contributed 15 kills on a .379 attack percentage against the Bruins.
UCLA with this victory completed the sweep of the home-and-home series. The Bruins won the opener in four games on Wednesday to end the Anteaters’ attempt at an undefeated season.