UCLA Takes No. 1 Seed in 12-Team Ncaa Men's Volleyball Field
UCLA is the No. 1 seed in the ncaa men's volleyball tournament after the 12-team field was announced Sunday, setting the Bruins on a path they will try to finish at Pauley Pavilion in May. They enter at 29-1, with the bracket now sending them into a regional final against the winner of UC Irvine and Penn State on Saturday at 5 p.m.
UCLA Chases Another Title
The Bruins have already won the 2023 and 2024 national championships, and they will play all of their remaining matches at Pauley Pavilion if they keep advancing. UCLA is also chasing its 22nd NCAA title, a number that sits directly in the middle of this bracket decision because the top four seeds host the three-team regionals later this week.
That makes the seeding more than a label. UCLA, Hawaii, Long Beach State and Ball State were named the top four seeds and the regional hosts, which means the opening weekend paths are already set for the programs that earned the right to stay home.
Long Beach State, Hawaii, Ball State
Long Beach State enters as the No. 3 seed at 24-4 after a five-set win over Hawaii in the Big West Tournament final. It will meet the winner of Loyola Chicago and Saint Francis on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Pyramid, with Loyola Chicago carrying a 20-8 mark and Saint Francis arriving as the NEC champion at 18-11.
Hawaii is the No. 2 seed at 27-5 and will face the winner of USC and Belmont Abbey on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT in Honolulu. USC is 19-7, while Belmont Abbey comes in as the Conference Carolinas champion at 20-5.
Ball State, the No. 4 seed and MIVA champion, is 24-4 and will meet the winner of Pepperdine and Fort Valley State on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT in Muncie, Indiana. Pepperdine is 23-6, and Fort Valley State is the SIAC champion at 16-12.
UCLA And Long Beach
The bracket also keeps the recent rivalry front and center. Long Beach State dethroned UCLA in last year's final in Columbus, Ohio, and won its fourth national title in 2025, with the program's other crowns coming in 1991, 2018 and 2019.
Since 2012, every national champion has won two in a row, a stretch that gives UCLA a clear challenge after the Bruins' title run in 2023 and 2024. The semifinal and final round are scheduled for May 9-11 at UCLA, so the No. 1 seed now carries both the best position in the bracket and the pressure of defending a home-site finish.
