UCLA
Florida State
Top-Seeded UCLA Advances to NCAA Championship
May 06, 2023 | Beach Volleyball
SOCIAL MEDIA:ย BeachVB on Twitterย |ย BeachVB on Facebookย |ย BeachVB on Instagram
GULF SHORES, Ala.ย -- No. 1ย UCLA (40-3) has advanced to the NCAA Championship dual with a 3-0 win over No. 4ย Florida State (32-9) on Saturday afternoon in the Semifinals of the 2023 NCAA Women's Beach Volleyball Championship at Gulf Beach Place. UCLA improved to 14-8 all-time against the Seminoles. The Bruins avenged their loss to FSU in the contender's bracket final from a year ago.
Graduate student Marlie Monserez and sophomore Jessie Smith put the Bruins on the board first with a 21-14, 21-16 win on court four over Florida State's Audrey Koenig and Caitlin Moon.
UCLA's court one pair of senior Lexy Denaburg and freshman Maggie Boyd made it 2-0 with a 21-18, 24-22 win over Maddie Anderson and Paige Kalkhoff.
The Bruins' graduate student Abby Van Winkle and junior Peri Brennan clinched the victory with a 21-14, 21-18 win on court two over the Seminoles' Anna Long and Jordan Polo.
Graduate student Jaden Whitmarsh and senior Devon Newberry were leading 21-17, 22-22 on court five over Alexis Durish and Makenna Wolfe when time was called.
Graduate student Haley Hallgren and senior Rileigh Powers were trailing 19-21, 20-17 on court three to FSU's Raelyn White and Morgan Chaconย when the final horn sounded.
UCLA will face the two-time defending NCAA Champion No. 3 USCย (31-5) in the title match at 11:00 p.m. CT/9:00 a.m. PT today on ESPN. The Bruins are 3-1 against the Trojansย this year. USC won the first meeting (Mar. 5) at USC, 3-2, but the Bruins defeated USC, 3-2, at the Center of Effort Challenge title match (Apr. 15), then won 4-1 on Senior Day at Mapes Beach (Apr. 20), and then swept the Trojans, 3-0, in the Pac-12 Championship Contender's Bracket Semifinal (Apr. 28).
NOTES:ย UCLAย has 25 sweeps on the year (five at the Pac-12 Championship and two at the NCAA Championship), which is the mostย in program history (old record was 23 by the 2019 NCAA Championship squad)ย ...ย Abby Van Winkle, theย UCLA all-timeย career leader in wins, now has 128ย ... the Bruins improved to 14-8 all-time against the Seminoles ... Lexy Denaburg posted her 99th career victory against Florida State ... UCLA's 40 wins so far this season ties the UCLA, Pac-12, and NCAA record set by the 2018 NCAA Championship squad (40-4).
No. 1 UCLA def. No. 4 Florida State, 3-0
Gulf Place Beach โข Gulf Shores, Ala.
Saturday, May 6, 2023 โข 12:30 PM PT/2:30 PM CT
Records: UCLA (40-3), FSU (32-9)
1. Maggie Boyd/Lexy Denaburgย (UCLA) def. Maddie Anderson/Paigeย Kalkhoff (FSU) 21-18, 24-22
2. Abby Van Winkle/Peri Brennanย (UCLA) def. Annaย Long/Jordanย Polo (FSU) 21-14, 21-18
3. Haley Hallgren/Rileigh Powers (UCLA) vs. Raelynย White/Morganย Chacon (FSU) 19-21, 20-17 DNF
4. Marlie Monserez/Jessie Smith (UCLA)ย def. Audreyย Koenig/Caitlinย Moon (FSU) 21-14, 21-16
5. Devon Newberry/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) vs. Makennaย Wolfe/Alexisย Durish (FSU) 21-17, 22-22 DNF
Order of finish:ย 4, 1, 2*
ย
