Beach Volleyball Falls to USC, 3-0, in NCAA Title Contest

GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No. 2 UCLA beach volleyball team lost to No. 1 USC, 3-0, in the NCAA championship 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) finished as the NCAA Tournament's runner-up for the second straight season and were seeking their first NCAA championship since winning back-to-back beach volleyball titles in 2018 and 2019. Sunday's contest marked the first NCAA championship dual to have all five matches head into three sets.
 
USC won the first two matches of the day, taking place on courts two and four.
 
USC's tandem of Madison White and Maddi Kriz defeated UCLA's duo of senior Peri Brennan and graduate student Devon Newberry. USC's scores in the match on court two were 14-21, 21-19 and 15-13.
 
In concurrent mid-day competition on court four, UCLA's tandem of graduate student Jaden Whitmarsh and senior Tessa Van Winkle lost to USC's Ashley Pater and Grace Seits. Set scores for USC were 24-26, 25-23 and 15-8.
 
Matches on courts one, three and five began roughly 15 minutes later, with each of those contests advancing into a winner-take-all third set.
 
USC's Audrey Norse and Nicole Nourse clinched the championship point on court three for the second straight year, defeating UCLA junior Jessie Smith and redshirt freshman Kenzie Bower by scores of 22-20, 15-21 and 15-11.
 
Mid-afternoon matches on courts one and five were truncated. UCLA sophomore Maggie Boyd and graduate student Lexy Denaburg dropped the first set to USC's Laynie Maple and Megan Kraft, 21-16. UCLA won the second set, 21-18, and was trailing to USC in the third set, 8-4.
 
On court five, UCLA junior Natalie Myszkowski and redshirt freshman Ensley Alden won the opening set, 21-17, and lost the second set, 23-21, forcing a winner-take-all third set. That final set was truncated with the Bruins trailing, 4-2, against the USC tandem of Mabyn Thomas and Madison Goellener. For their work in the NCAA Championship, the Bruins' court five pair of Myszkowski and Alden were UCLA's lone representatives on the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
 
No. 1 USC def. No. 2 UCLA, 3-0
Gulf Beach Place • Gulf Shores, Ala.
Sunday, May 5, 2024 • 8:00 AM PT
Records: USC (37-5), UCLA (35-7)
1. Delanie Maple/Megan Kraft (USC) vs. Maggie Boyd/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) 21-16, 18-21, 8-4, truncated
2. Madison White/Maddi Kriz (USC) def. Peri Brennan/Devon Newberry (UCLA) 21-14, 19-21, 15-13
3. Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse (USC) def. Jessie Smith/Kenzie Brower (UCLA) 22-20, 15-21, 15-11
4. Ashley Pater/Grace Seits (USC) def. Jaden Whitmarsh/Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA) 24-26, 25-23, 15-8
5. Mabyn Thomas/Madison Goellner (USC) vs. Natalie Myszkowski/Ensley Alden (UCLA) 17-21, 23-21, 4-2, truncated
Order of finish: 2, 4, 3*