Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan doesn’t get nervous.
But even the most composed teams can be thrown off course.
After cruising past No. 4 seed California (26-8) in a straight three-set victory, No. 1 seed UCLA (30-5) fell to No. 2 seed Stanford (30-8) in a 3-1 loss in a highly contested semifinal of the first ever MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship.
The Bruins started their day with dominance, with quick victories on the first and third courts. The clinching point came from the fours pair – freshman Alexa Fernandez and redshirt freshman Kaley Mathews – who sealed the deal with a 21-16, 21-13 win.
“As a team, we always talk about having a target on our backs, and I think we welcome that. It lets us play with even more fire and passion,” Fernandez said. “ We just trust each other so much. We talk about it all the time, so in those last points that’s all I’m thinking is that ‘we have this, and we just got to keep playing.’”
But the afternoon matchup told a different story.
Despite having already beaten Stanford three times this season, the Bruins were pushed out of rhythm early.
Fernandez and Mathews were the first to fall on court four, followed by a quick defeat on court two. Freshman Sally Perez and junior Maggie Boyd fought back to keep UCLA alive with a gritty three-set win on court one, but the Cardinal closed it out on court three.
Senior Jessie Smith and redshirt sophomore Kenzie Brower battled hard in another marathon match – pushed to a nail-biting third set – but ultimately couldn’t get the edge.
“I can honestly say I don’t have anxiety (when watching her team play),” Jordan said. “I am totally in it with them. I don’t get nervous. I know that we’ve prepared them. They’re ready to go, and I’m confident that they’ll take care of what they need to take care of.”
Despite the lack of nerves the team carried from their early morning game, UCLA found themselves tested by the Cardinal.
The Bruins stumbled early, with quick losses on courts four and two giving the Cardinal the edge and shifting the tone of the game. Playing catch-up, fives pair redshirt freshman Harper Cooper and redshirt sophomore Ensley Alden delivered fierce competition, fighting in a marathon second set of 34-32.
In spite of the rallies across the courts, threes pair Smith and Brower ultimately dropped the ball in the third set, (22-24, 23-21,14-16) securing the third point for the Cardinal and their spot in the final.
For the Bruins, the rest of the tournament remains unclear.
While the loss to the Cardinal has not removed the Bruins from the final, the team will wait on the results of the contender’s bracket to play out tomorrow morning before finding out who their opponent will be. UCLA could find themselves facing No. 3 seed USC or No. 4 seed California.
