The Bruins’ quest for a third straight national championship will continue.
Coming off its first loss in the tournament since 2018, No. 1 seed UCLA (30-4, 10-0 Pac-12) defeated No. 7 Cal Poly (24-11) by a score of 3-0 from Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Bruins will now face No. 4 LSU, a team they have defeated twice this year previously. The two-time defending national champions defeated the Tigers in April by scores of 4-1 and 3-2 at Mapes Beach.
After losses to No. 5 seed LMU on courts two and four Friday, the Bruins took an early lead on both courts by scores of 10-5 and 10-4, respectively. Junior Megan Muret and graduate student Jacqueline Quade closed out the first set by a score of 21-16 to take a 1-0 lead. Junior Lea Monkhouse and freshman Devon Newberry followed suit with a first-set victory of their own, defeating the Mustangs’ duo 22-20.
Graduate student Savvy Simo and freshman Lexy Denaburg kept their undefeated streak alive in the tournament with a 23-21 victory in set one. On court two, sophomores Abby Van Winkle and Lindsey Sparks fell behind 15-8, but roared back to win the set 21-19.
Muret and Quade put UCLA on the board first, with a 21-19 victory in the second set. Monkhouse and Newberry got their first victory of the tournament with a 21-17 win in the second set, to put the Bruins up 2-0.
Redshirt freshman Jaden Whitmarsh and sophomore Rileigh Powers finished off the Bruins’ sweep of the first set with a 21-19 victory on court five. Whitmarsh and Powers went on to win the second set as well by a score of 21-19 to give the Bruins the dual victory by a score of 3-0.
UCLA will face LSU in its second elimination match of the day at 3:30 p.m. PST.
