University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins See Success at Collegiate Challenge
October 24, 2017 | Beach Volleyball
UCLA junior Megan McNamara and freshman Cami Sanchez paired up to take first in the silver division.
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HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Members of the UCLA Bruins' beach volleyball team had a strong showing at the 2017 Collegiate Challenge this past weekend as part of the Relentless Volleyball Tour in Huntington Beach.
The pairs tournament was hosted by Relentless Volleyball Club and included teams from UCLA, USC, Cal Pol, Long Beach State, Grand Canyon, Loyola Marymount, San Jose State, CSUN and Vanguard.
UCLA junior Megan McNamara and freshman Cami Sanchez paired up to take first in the silver division. As a new pair, they were seeded 12th and had the toughest road to the title, defeating fifth-seeded Natalie Honzovicova and Katie Sarber of Grand Canyon in the first round and fourth-seeded Katrina Kernochan and Maja Kaiser of USC in the quarterfinals. The Bruin tandem then defeated the Trojans' top-seeded pair of Jo Kremer and Jenna Belton in the semifinals before dispatching of Grand Canyon's second-seeded duo of Kelli Iverson and Taylor Jarzombek in the finals.
In the gold division, freshman Jamie McQuarrie and sophomore Chanti Holroyd were seeded 11th and finished second, falling to USC's top-seeded pair of Abril Bustamante and Tina Graudina in the finals. The new Bruin duo advanced by defeating Cal Poly's sixth-seeded tandem of Emily Sonny and Hannah Hubbard in the opening round and the No. 3 seed, Molly Turner and Katie Pyles from Grand Canyon, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the UCLA pair defeated USC's second-seeded duo of Joy Dennis and Sammy Slater to advance.
Other UCLA finishers in the gold division included sophomore Lily Justine and junior Izzy Carey (tied for third) and senior Elise Zappia and sophomore Madi Yeomans (tied for fifth). The Bruin duo of freshmen Megan Muret and Hannah Phair tied for fifth in the silver division.
Gold Division -
1st Place - Bustamante/Graudina (USC)
2nd Place - McQuarrie/Holyroyd (UCLA)
3rd Place - Slater/Dennis (USC) and Justine/Carey (UCLA)
5th Place - Cannon/Hallgren (USC), Karelov/Reinking (Long Beach State), Yeomans/Zappia (UCLA), Turner/Pyles (GCU)
9th Place - Sonny/Hubbard (Cal Poly), Reinking/Baiman (GCU), Manley/Manley (Cal Poly), Towne/Relaz (GCU)
Silver Division -
1st Place - McNamara/Sanchez (UCLA)
2nd Place - Iverson/Jarzombeck (GCU)
3rd Place - Bellin/Gordon (Cal Poly), Kremer/Belton (USC)
5th Place - Green/Thomas (USC), Nederland/Bogust (LMU), Kaiser/Kernochian (USC), Muret/Phair (UCLA)
9th Place - Pickney/McMurray (CSUN), Stansfield/Clarke (GCU), Honzikova/Sarber (GCU), Barber/Newlander (Long Beach State)
Bronze Division -
1st Place - Wright/Cataldo (Cal Poly)
2nd Place - Walsh/Mirabel (GCU)
3rd Place - Reinig/Doud (LMU), Unnash/Mussler (GCU)
5th Place- Reese/Demore (GCU), Bailey/Curren (Long Beach State)
