For the second straight season, the UCLA women's beach volleyball team fell just short of winning the national championship, losing to rival USC. This is the second year in a row that the Bruins have finished runner-up to USC and the third time in the past four years.
It's painful for the Bruins since USC is their biggest rival, but the Trojans were simply dominant. Since the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship tournament began in his 2016 year, USC has won six of his eight years. UCLA won the other two championships in 2018 and 2019, but it appears to have been a perennial runner-up for the past four years while USC has won four in a row.
In the championship game, the 37-5 Trojans defeated the 35-7 Bruins, 3-0. UCLA defeated Cal in the quarterfinals and LSU in the semifinals to advance to the title game in Gulf Shores, Alabama. For the second year in a row, USC's Audrey and Nicole Knowles earned championship points, this time defeating UCLA's Jesse Smith and Kenzie Bower to win the title.
The only silver lining for the Bruins was one of the duo of Ensley Alden and Natalie Mischkowski named to the all-tournament team.
Here are some of the best highlights from UCLA's tournament.
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