No. 2 UCLA Pulls Off Reverse Sweep of No. 1 USC, 3-2

TEMPE, Ariz. -- No. 2 UCLA (32-5) advanced to the Pac-12 Championship final with a 3-2 reverse sweep of No. 1 ranked and top-seeded USC (31-5) on Friday morning at ASU's Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility. The Bruins improved to 20-25 all-time against the Trojans and 3-2 this season.

USC got on the board first on court three when Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse defeated UCLA's pair of redshirt freshman Kenzie Brower and junior Jessie Smith, 21-18, 21-16.

The Trojans then went up 2-0 with a three-set thriller on court five as Madison Goellner and Mabyn Thomas outlasted UCLA's duo of redshirt freshman Ensley Alden and junior Natalie Myszkowski, 20-22, 21-17, 15-11.

UCLA mounted its comeback with an impressive three-set thriller on court one where graduate student Lexy Denaburg and sophomore Maggie Boyd beat last year's Pac-12 Pair of the Year, Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple, 21-16, 18-21, 15-9.

Then the Bruins tied the dual at 2-2 in another three-setter when senior Peri Brennan and graduate student Devon Newberry rallied to defeat Madison White and Maddi Kriz, 18-21, 21-12, 16-14 on court two. 

Everyone made their way to court four where UCLA's tandem of senior Tessa Van Winkle and graduate student Jaden Whitmarsh sealed the Bruins' win with a 21-15, 21-14 win over USC's previously undefeated pair of Ashley Pater and Grace Seits.

UP NEXT: The Bruins will face the winner of No. 1 USC/No. 3 Stanford/No. 6 Arizona State from the contender's bracket final in the Pac-12 Championship final at 4:00 p.m. PT later today on the Pac-12 Networks.

NOTES: This marked the sixth time this season and the 26th time overall that UCLA has been involved in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. The Bruins are 11-15 record (.423) in those meetings. Interestingly, UCLA is just 3-10 (.231) as the top-ranked team in those matchups but 8-5 (.615) as the underdog. Already this year, the Bruins are 2-1 against USC when the Trojans are No. 1 and the Bruins are No. 2 and also 1-1 against USC when the Bruins are No. 1 and the Trojans are No. 2. Additionally, No. 1 UCLA also fell once to No. 2 Stanford this year, 3-2. Against USC, the Bruins have a 7-6 lead in duals played in the Pac-12 Championship and are now 9-9 in all postseason meetings.

No. 2 UCLA def. No. 1 USC, 3-2
Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility • Tempe, Ariz.
Friday, April 26, 2024 • 9:00 AM
Records: UCLA (32-5), USC (31-5)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Maggie Boyd (UCLA) def. Megan Kraft/Delaynie Maple (USC) 21-16, 18-21, 15-9
2. Devon Newberry/Peri Brennan (UCLA) def. Maddi Kriz/Madison White (USC) 18-21, 21-12, 16-14
3. Audrey Nouse/Nicole Nourse (USC) def. Kenzie Brower/Jessie Smith (UCLA) 21-18, 21-16
4. Jaden Whitmarsh/Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Ashley Pater/Grace Seits (USC) 21-15, 21-14
5. Madison Goellner/Mabyn Thomas (USC) def. Natalie Myszkowski/Ensley Alden (UCLA) 20-22, 21-17, 15-11
Order of finish: 3, 5, 1, 2, 4*