Up until this weekend, the Bruins were split on wins and losses with their crosstown rivals.
A Senior Day victory over the Trojans – reigning national champions – just over a week ago gave the team what coach Jenny Johnson Jordan said was a practice run of the “dog-fight mentality” it would need to carry into the postseason.
But when it came time to compete on the sport’s biggest stage, the Bruins couldn’t summon the same fire.
No. 1 seed UCLA beach volleyball (30-6) fell to No. 3 seed USC (25-10) in a 3-1 loss to squash the Bruins’ chances at an opportunity to compete in the inaugural MPSF beach volleyball championship finals on Friday afternoon at Spiker Beach.
Wasting no time getting on the board, USC’s Ashley Pater and Kennedy Coakley quickly dispatched graduate student Peri Brennan and senior Natalie Myszcowski in straight sets, limiting one of UCLA’s steadiest pairs to under 15 points in both games – their lowest output of the season.
The Bruins immediately answered on court one, where freshman Sally Perez and junior Maggie Boyd kept their rhythm steady to take out USC’s top pair.
The win tied the dual at one apiece, but the momentum wouldn’t stay with the Bruins for long.
Another quick win on court five pushed the Trojans to a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the match.
Court four ultimately delivered the final blow, with USC’s fours pair closing the door on UCLA’s finals chances with a 21-19, 21-14 sweep.
It was the Trojans’ third point – enough to clinch the battle and render court three’s outcome irrelevant.
So redshirt sophomore Kenzie Brower and senior Jessie Smith – who pushed to a third set to unlock a sliver of hope for UCLA – were forced to halt play once their crosstown rivals had sealed the triumph.
While a win Friday morning would’ve punched the Bruins’ ticket to the conference finals, UCLA will now be left to watch the national bracket unveil from the sidelines.
