gulf shores alabama – The second-place UCLA beach volleyball team lost 3-0 to first-place USC at the NCAA Championships on Sunday afternoon at Gulf Beach Place. USC (37-5) improved to 4-3 in the season series against crosstown rival UCLA.
The Bruins (35-7) were NCAA Tournament runners-up for the second consecutive season and were seeking their first NCAA championship since back-to-back beach volleyball titles in 2018 and 2019. Sunday's contest marked the first NCAA championship double. Bring all five matches to three sets.
USC won the first two games of the day, played on courts two and four.
USC's tandem of Madison White and Maddie Chriss defeated UCLA's senior duo. Peri Brennan and graduate students Devon Newberry. The scores for USC in the game on Court 2 were 14-21, 21-19, and 15-13.
Simultaneous daytime competition on Court 4 featured a tandem of UCLA graduate students. jayden whittmarsh and senior tessa van winkle She lost to USC's Ashley Pater and Grace Seitz. USC's set scores were 24-26, 25-23, 15-8.
Matches on Courts 1, 3, and 5 began approximately 15 minutes later, with each match proceeding to a winner-take-all third set.
USC's Audrey North and Nicole North defeat UCLA juniors to earn championship points on Court 3 for the second year in a row. jesse smith and defeated redshirt freshman Kenzie Bower by a score of 22-20, 15-21, 15-11.
Mid-afternoon games on Courts 1 and 5 were called off. UCLA sophomore maggie boyd and graduate students Lexi Denaburg She dropped the first set to USC's Laney Maple and Megan Craft, 21-16. UCLA won the second set 21-18, but fell behind USC 8-4 in the third.
Court No. 5, UCLA Junior Natalie Mischkowski And a red shirt freshman ensley alden They won the first set 21-17, lost the second set 23-21, and the third set was a winner-take-all. That final set ended with the Bruins leading 4-2 against the USC tandem of Mayvin Thomas and Madison Gelener. Due to their performance at the NCAA Championships, the Bruins' Court Five pair of Mischkowski and Alden are the only UCLA representatives on the NCAA All-Tournament team.
USC Def No.1. 2nd place UCLA, 3-0
Gulf Beach Place • Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Sunday, May 5, 2024 • 8 a.m. Pacific Time
Record: USC (37 wins, 5 losses), UCLA (35 wins, 7 losses)
1. Delaney Maple/Megan Craft (USC) vs. maggie boyd/Lexi Denaburg (UCLA) 21-16, 18-21, 8-4, truncated
2. Madison White/Maddie Chriss (USC) def. Peri Brennan/Devon Newberry (UCLA) 21-14, 19-21, 15-13
3. Audrey Nurse/Nicole Nurse (USC) def. jesse smith/Kenzie Brower (UCLA) 22-20, 15-21, 15-11
4. Ashley Pater/Grace Seitz (USC) def. jayden whittmarsh/tessa van winkle (UCLA) 24-26, 25-23, 15-8
5. Mayvin Thomas/Madison Gellner (USC) vs. Natalie Mischkowski/ensley alden (UCLA) 17-21, 23-21, 4-2, truncated
Order of arrival: 2, 4, 3*