After a moment of waning hope, Maggie Boyd stepped up.
The unafraid freshman – seemingly unfazed by the moment – gave the Bruins some confidence back.
As the only freshman on the sand for UCLA beach volleyball, Boyd gave her team a shot at winning the NCAA championship dual after trailing USC 2-0. As the only Bruin with zero attacking errors in the championship match, she put the team on the board with a victory on court one to avoid a Trojans sweep.
But the showing on the final day of the season was not an unfamiliar one for Boyd. Not only was she the only freshman to crack the starting lineup this year, but the 5-foot-11 rookie also played on court one for most of the season, competing against the best players in the country.
Former coach Stein Metzger – who departed UCLA for a job with Texas on Wednesday – was aware of Boyd’s talent since she was 14 years old as a junior player.
“Other people are warming up to my opinion of her, which is that she’s a darn good player,” Metzger said. “She’s extremely efficient, makes very few errors and plays incredible defense.”
Boyd is known for her ball placement and hitting power while simultaneously being fearless on her side of the court, picking up tough hits from her opponents. Although many of Boyd’s skills improved through her first season as a Bruin, her strong abilities came long before.
She arrived at UCLA with seven club national championships under her belt, as well as achievements through playing indoor volleyball in Texas, where she grew up. Last summer, Boyd went undefeated and won the 2022 Beach U20 National Team Trials, earning her a spot to play on the Team USA U20 National Team.
Boyd’s accomplishments continued when she became a freshman at UCLA. In just the first tournament of the year, she was named Best Defender and swept all of her opponents at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic.
Much of her confidence and successes came from the older players on the team, Boyd said.
“Leadership is so good on our team,” Boyd said. “They just feed confidence into the younger girls, and it makes it so much more exciting to go out. It’s really fun being able to experience this with them.”
By the end of her first season, Boyd notched over six honors, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Along with her main partner senior Lexy Denaburg, Boyd concluded with an overall record of 27-6 and had a 17-dual winning streak.
Graduate student Abby Van Winkle said Boyd has shown resilience as a young player.
“She’s really broken in, and she’s great,” Van Winkle said. “I’ve been able to see Maggie progress, and she’s definitely starting to become a little leader out there and getting more comfortable.”
Despite her early success, this is just the beginning for Boyd. With a spot on court one and a successful freshman season, she has ample time to continue improving and become a leader on the court.
With Denaburg returning next year, the familiarity will give Boyd the opportunity to continue racking up victories and honors like she has always done on the sand.
“She’s a special player,” Metzger said. “As a freshman, Maggie Boyd showed that she can be successful even at the ones at the highest level.”
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