VBelo Daily: May 03, 2026

Goliath has been slain by David (Kniffin)

May 03, 2026

The Anteaters dance into the NCAA semifinals. (UC Irvine Athletics)

Number of the Day

6.96% - There is always a chance. That is one of the great things about volleyball, as an untimed sport. Also, everyone having a chance is at the core of VBelo. Saturday saw one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 season. With just a 6.96% chance of winning, UC Irvine handed UCLA their second loss of the season. This is the 7th biggest upset this season, according to the model. The match isn’t over until the final whistle (and maybe a challenge) and that is a beautiful thing.

Yesterday’s Regional Finals Scores

#4 Ball State (63%) def. Pepperdine (37%)
3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 16-14)

World, meet Will Patterson. The Ball State middle went off for 12 kills on 18 swings and 0 errors in the thrilling win. He also added 11 blocks to get a huge double-double when everything is on the line.

UC Irvine (7%) def. #1 UCLA (93%)
3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 19-25, 16-14)

What. A. Match. UC Irvine was backed into a corner. They were down 15-13 in set 5, but they weren’t out because of a successful challenge. Andreas Brink had a career high with 17 kills (.483) and what a time to go all out!

#3 Long Beach (91%) def. Loyola Chicago (9%)
3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-19)

This match was won (and lost) on the service line. Long Beach finished with 8 aces to only 8 service errors. A 1:1 ratio! Loyola had only 1 ace to their 17 service errors. Skyler Varga also seems to be ready for the postseason. He finished with 14 kills and a .520 hitting percentage.

#2 Hawai’i (85%) def. Southern California (15%)
3-1 (25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 32-30)

This match set a record for single-match NCAA Tournament attendance record at 10,300. Adrien Roure gave the home fans a show with 13 kills (.458%), 6 digs, and 7 huge aces. Yes, 7 aces in the National Quarterfinals. Big time match, big time performance.