As UCLA Athletics takes a break for the summer, professional sports are still in full swing, with many current and former Bruins taking part. Each week during the summer, Daily Bruin Sports will take a look at the standout performances of the past week from UCLA athletes as we count down the days until fall.
Softball: Jadelyn Allchin, Megan Faraimo, Sharlize Palacios, Delanie Wisz, Bubba Nickles-Camarena, Rachel Garcia, Lisa Fernandez
Flare often defines a league’s inaugural season, helping it capture an audience.
And the Bruins may provide the talent needed to draw viewership.
The Athletes Unlimited Softball League began its first season June 7, and UCLA softball has cemented itself as a significant contributor to the professional league’s launch.
Seven Bruin alumni occupy roster spots on three of AUSL’s four teams, while UCLA associate head coach Lisa Fernandez serves as the Talons’ general manager, a squad featuring four Bruins.
And the Talons have earned a league-high 12 wins, riding a seven-game winning streak.
Former Bruin outfielder Jadelyn Allchin has helped spearhead the Talons’ hitting success, slashing .438/.538/.656 and leading the team in all three categories. The Fountain Valley, California, local’s disciplined plate approach has helped her record the league’s third-highest on-base percentage.
Behind the plate, former Bruin catcher Sharlize Palacios has limited opponents’ base-running success, throwing six runners out on steal attempts. The 2025 Big Ten Network softball game analyst carries a powerful bat too, blasting two home runs this season for the Talons.
Yet, Palacios’ chemistry with the Talons’ pitching staff may represent her most underrated attribute.
Along with ace Georgina Corrick, former UCLA pitcher Megan Faraimo has a 3-0 record in the circle. The USA Softball National Team pitcher threw a combined shutout with fellow Talon pitcher Raelin Chaffin, blanking the Volts for four complete innings in the Talons’ 4-0 win Wednesday night following a complete-game outing against the Blaze Tuesday night.
Former Bruins Delanie Wisz and Bubba Nickles-Camarena compete for the Bandits.
Wisz blooped a walk-off single down the left field line to help snap the Bandits’ three-game losing streak against the Blaze Wednesday afternoon. The infielder’s game-winning single was her second walk-off of the season, also barreling a single up the middle to secure the squad’s 6-5 victory against the Volts on June 12.
Although the Wisz’s timely hitting can steal the show, Nickles-Camarena’s batting power has helped spearhead the Bandits’ winning record.
Nickels-Camarena boasts a .431 slugging percentage, and her three home runs this season are tied for third-most in the league. Yet the outfielder, who serves as an assistant coach on UCLA’s coaching staff, has struggled to make consistent hard contact, logging a batting average below .220.
For the Volts, former Bruin two-way player Rachel Garcia recently pitched a complete game in the team’s 5-3 victory against the Bandits Monday, striking out nine batters. The Palmdale, California, local’s 2.65 ERA is the second-lowest mark in the league.
But Garcia is also a viable lineup option for the Volts, riding a three-game hitting streak with two doubles across that span.
The Bruins will continue to compete in the AUSL until late July, with the postseason starting July 26.
But some won’t stop there.
Garcia, Nickels-Camarena and Faraimo, along with former Bruins Ally Carda and Maya Brady, are set to travel to the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, which begin Aug. 7.
Beach Volleyball: Savvy Simo, Abby Van Winkle, Lexy Denaburg
Representing your country on the world stage is an honor that few athletes experience.
But former UCLA beach volleyball players Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle got a taste for international competition with Team USA at the Alanya, Turkey, Challenger Event in the main draw – part of the Beach Pro Tour – from June 11 to June 15.
Simo and Van Winkle occupied court one as the premier pair during UCLA’s pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, concluding the season with a 13-2 record.
And their chemistry has carried them onto the world stage.
The pair qualified for the main draw tournament after defeating Canadians Devin Corah and Dana Roskic in three sets during the preliminary round June 11.
The American pair – which ranks 27th in the world rankings – defeated France’s Lézana Placette and Alexia Richard to open the main draw June 11, boasting seven combined service aces and just four blunders across the second and third sets to bounce back after dropping the first set.
The former Bruins dropped their second contest but responded with a sweeping victory over Canadians Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec on June 13. The American pair used a multifaceted attack, with each boasting double-digit attack points, combining for 25 against the Canadian duo.
Simo and Van Winkle lost their final match of the tournament, falling to 13th-ranked pair Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau in two sets.
The next Challenger event of the Beach Pro Tour tournament is in Baden, Austria, and is set to occur between Aug. 5 and Aug. 10.
But the world circuit isn’t the only place where athletes can flash their capabilities.
Former Bruin Lexy Denaburg is in the midst of her first season with the Brooklyn Blaze in the Association of Volleyball Professionals, partnering with Julia Donlin.
The three-time AVCA All-American has posted the league’s second-highest passing rate at a .944 clip, facilitating the ball to the attacking-focused Donlin, whose 93 kills are the second-most in the league.
Denaburg faced the New York Nitro women’s pair June 21 in East Hampton, New York, controlling the game at the net. The Merritt Island, Florida, local racked up nine kills and two blocks to help sweep the Nitro.
The Brooklyn duo lost its first contest of the season the following day, falling to the undefeated Austin Aces’ women’s pair in three sets. Yet, Denaburg opened the affair with four kills on a .571 hitting percentage to help secure a first-set victory.
Denaburg is scheduled to play next on Aug. 8 in Dallas against the Dallas Dream women’s pair.
Men’s Volleyball: Miles Partain
Beach and indoor volleyball require two distinct skill sets.
But Miles Partain appears to have mastered both.
After competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics on the Team USA beach volleyball squad, the setter returned to the UCLA men’s volleyball program, but NCAA eligibility restrictions stopped him from playing last season.
The 2022 MPSF Player of the Year is competing in the AVP this summer for the Dallas Dream along with partner Andrew Benesh. In 2022, Partain captured the AVP championship with Paul Lotman.
And the Pacific Palisades, California, local has made a strong two-way impact, hustling for a league-high 73 digs while recording 111 kills. Partain sports the second most kills in the AVP, compared to just 23 attacking errors.
Partain and Benesh recently split two contests between June 21 and June 22.
The Olympian showcased his versatility in the first match, boasting a 100% passing rate and recording 8 digs along with 10 kills to help sweep the Austin Ace men’s pair.
The duo lost its second affair of the East Hampton, New York, circuit, despite Partain’s 15 kills.
Partain and Benesh have a 4-2 record, holding the fourth-place spot in men’s pair standings, and are set to return to the court against the Brooklyn Blaze men’s pair Aug. 8.
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