Senior opposite Nick Vogel stared at his hands in disbelief, shaking them as if they had betrayed him.

Just moments before, early in the first set of Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over Cal State Northridge, Vogel found himself trapped too close to the net and hit an errant ball, angling it below the net.

For Vogel and the Bruins, this miscue was uncharted territory, as they have been nearly flawless to this point in the season.

After winning 17 straight sets, the UCLA men’s volleyball team will face off against UC Santa Barbara – a match featuring two teams heading in opposite directions.

No. 15 UC Santa Barbara (2-4, 0-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation), which reached the national championship game last season, has struggled early on this season, losing last weekend to Stanford and Pacific, the same two teams No. 3 UCLA (8-1, 3-0) swept.

The Bruins, on the other hand, have been nothing short of dominant.

“I think (our strengths have been) serving, blocking, (hitting) – well, you know what? I don’t think we have any weaknesses to tell you the truth,” coach Al Scates said. “It’s a pretty well-rounded team at this point.”

That well-roundedness was on full display against Northridge on Wednesday, as the Bruins excelled in all facets of the game. Defensively, the team finished with 13.5 blocks and held Northridge to a .058 hitting percentage. UCLA, however, hit .435 and served well, with nine aces and a serving percentage of .822.

Senior setter Kyle Caldwell attributed his team’s all-around success to their improved concentration this season.

“As seniors, this is our last year, so we’re really playing with a lot more focus,” Caldwell said.

Five of the Bruins’ top seven players are seniors, and with this season being Scates’ last, UCLA is hoping for a final hoorah with a championship run.

Santa Barbara, however, is coming off of a championship run themselves after losing in the title game last season to Ohio State. With only one starter returning from that squad, the Gauchos are a very different team and have had some trouble transitioning. The Bruins are still excited to have the opportunity to beat one of last season’s top teams.

“You always want to take down a team that was in the national championship last year,” said senior quick hitter Thomas Amberg.

“They lost a lot of seniors last year, which was the core of their team, but they’re still a team with a lot of fight, and we can’t come out complacent. We have to go out there with focus and make sure we put them away.”

Considering the way the Bruins have been playing, it would come as no surprise if they made it to the championship game, as Santa Barbara did last year.

The team’s supremacy has not only been fun to watch, but the players are also enjoying themselves on the court.

“This is easily one of the most fun games I’ve ever played,” Amberg said after Wednesday’s game.

Caldwell echoed his teammate’s sentiments.

“When you play so well it’s hard not to be having fun.”

The stats back up just how well the Bruins have played. They not only lead the conference in opponent hitting percentage, holding opposing teams to .204 hitting, but they also lead the conference with 11 kills per game.

UCLA stands out in terms of its individual performers, too. As of Thursday, Amberg and redshirt senior quick hitter Weston Dunlap have the top two hitting percentages in the conference, hitting .584 and .556, respectively.

Despite all the evidence of UCLA’s success, Amberg believes the team is still improving.

“We’re just trying to build on something and just get better each and every set we play, and I think we’re actually doing that.”