UCLA Concludes Pac-12 Invitational at Pairs Tournament
April 19, 2015 | Beach Volleyball
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The top five Bruin tandems were in action today at the Annenberg Beach House in the Pairs Tournament of the Pac-12 Invitational, but none advanced past the quarterfinals.
The Gold Bracket included the top three flights from USC, UCLA, California, Arizona and Arizona State.
UCLA's No. 1 pair of Kamila Tan and Zoë Nightingale were seeded fourth and beat 13th-seeded Whitney Follette and Halle Harker (No. 3 ASU) in the first round in straight sets, 21-18, 21-12. But the Bruins dropped their quarterfinal match to 12th-seeded Eve Ettinger and Meg Norton (No. 3 USC) in straight sets, 21-13, 21-13.
The Bruins' No. 2 pair of Madie Smith and Elise Zappia were seeded ninth and defeated eighth-seeded Jordy Checkal and Bethany Jorgensen (No. 2 ASU) in the first round in straight sets 22-20, 21-17. But the Bruins dropped their quarterfinal match to top-seeded and eventual champions, Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes (No. 1 USC) in straight sets, 21-11, 21-11.
UCLA's No. 3 pair of Karly Drolson and Rachel Inouye was seeded 14th and fell in straight sets to third-seeded Bianca Arellano and Macey Gardner (No. 1 ASU) in the first round, 21-8, 21-12. The pair also dropped their consolation match to Whitney Follette and Halle Harker (No. 3 ASU) in three sets, 21-19, 12-21, 15-12.
The Silver Bracket included the No. 4 and No. 5 flights from USC, UCLA, California, Arizona and Arizona State.
UCLA's No. 4 pair of Julie Consani and Laurel Weaver were seeded fourth and dropped their quarterfinal match to fifth-seeded Mackenzie Feldman and Sammy Furlan (No. 4 Cal) in three sets, 21-17, 20-22, 15-6. But the Bruins rebounded to win their consolation match over third-seeded Sydney Palmer and McKenzie Willey (No. 4 ASU), 21-14 (one set only).
The Bruins' No. 5 pair of Lexi Jasper-Baylin and Ivey Schmitt were seeded ninth and defeated eighth-seeded Frances Giedraitis and Andi Lowrance (No. 5 ASU), in the first round in three sets, 14-21, 21-11, 15-12. But the Bruins dropped their quarterfinal match to top-seeded Nicolette Martin and Allie Wheeler (No. 4 USC) in straight sets, 21-8, 21-9. The duo rebounded to win their consolation match over seventh-seeded Hailey Devlin and Sarah Seiber (No. 5 ARIZ), 21-9 (one set only).
ASU then tied things up at 2-2 with a three-set win at flight No. 1 as Bianca Arellano and Macey Gardner defeated UCLA's Kamila Tan and Zoë Nightingale, 13-21, 21-14, 17-15. Tan had a monster match of 24 kills and 16 digs while Nightingale chipped in 10 kills and three digs. The Bruin pair is now 8-5 on the year.
The Bruins return to action on April 24-25 in Waikiki, Hawaii, at the Aloha Invitational to end the regular season.
