Standout Lea Monkhouse to Transfer to UCLA
November 09, 2018 | Beach Volleyball
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LOS ANGELESย - UCLA Beach Volleyball Head Coach Stein Metzger announced today the Grant In Aid signing of Lea Monkhouse, who will transfer from the University of Hawai'i and be available to compete for the Bruins as a sophomore during the 2019 season.
ย A native ofย Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Monkhouse was named the Big West Freshman of the Year in 2018 and an AVCAย Top Flight Award winner. She was named Big West first team with partner Morgan Martin and they combined to be chosen as the Big West Pairs Team of the Week a league-high three times.
"Lea is an exceptionally bright and hardworking student-athlete and we are fortunate to add her to our Bruin family," Metzger said. "We have a very close-knit and welcoming team culture and I have no doubt she will acclimate quickly and play an integral part in the success of our program and have a positive effect on her fellow UCLA student-athletes."
She was also named the Outrigger Hotels Hawai'i Invitational Most Outstanding Pair. She played every match with Morgan Martin on the year, going 34-6 in dual matches, registering a 19-3 record on court two and a 15-3 mark on court three. The 34 wins set a UH freshman record and she won 28 of 29 matches leading up to the NCAA Championship, including 19 straight.
Monkhouse also finished the year 17-6 against ranked teams, including going 2-2 against UCLA. Monkhouse and Martin went 8-2 in three-set matches on the year with both losses coming at the hands of the Bruins. She and her partner fell on the opening weekend at Hawai'i to UCLA's Madi Yeomans and Elise Zappia on court three, 13-21, 21-15, 16-18. The other setback came in the final weekend of play in the contender's bracket final of the NCAA Championship as Lily Justine and Sarah Sponcilย won a crucial match over Monkhouse and Martin in three sets on court two,ย 21-19, 23-25, 15-11, eliminating Hawai'i and sending UCLA to the title match.
She began her volleyball career at Lorne Park Secondary School in Mississauga, ON, Canada where she was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball and a Regional Champion in 2014. A four-time volleyball MVP (2014-17), she was named Athlete of the Year in 2015 and was the 18U Canadian National Champion with Florida State's Molly McBain. She played for the Defensaย Indoor Volleyball Club and was a member of the Team Ontario beach team as well as the North Coast Power League All-Star Team.
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