Sweeping is a chore.
People often dread it.
But the Bruins did not seem to mind.
No. 2 UCLA beach volleyball (25-4) swept the competition at the Center of Effort Challenge in San Luis Obispo, California, defeating No. 9 California (20-9) 4-1 and No. 6 Cal Poly (23-7) 3-2 Friday, then besting No. 13 Arizona State (17-12) 5-0 and No. 4 USC (26-7) 3-2 Saturday. The Bruins improved their unblemished season records against these opponents and secured regular-season sweeps against Cal, Cal Poly and Arizona State.
The Westwood bunch was particularly challenged when sophomore Sally Perez and senior Maggie Boyd fell on court one to open the tournament against Cal.
The Bruins went on to sweep courts two through five.
“We are all so close, and we all have faith in one another in those tight spots to finish our games,” said redshirt junior Kenzie Brower.
The Bruins then mounted their second sweep against the Sun Devils this season, dropping just one set on court five, where Brower and freshman Mallory LaBreche lost 21-16 in the first stanza before rattling off two five-plus-point triumphs to clinch the victory.
UCLA’s win reserved the squad a spot in the championship match against USC.
Two of the five dual matches in the tournament championship were forced into a third set.
Sophomore Alexa Fernandez and redshirt sophomore Harper Cooper prevailed in the final set to score for the Bruins on court three, spearheading the squad’s rivalry victory after UCLA had lost on courts four and five.
“These wins that we’re getting … that are really close are great opportunities for us to really test our grittiness and see if we can stay patient in the midst of some adverse circumstances and some tight matches,” said coach Jenny Johnson Jordan.
UCLA also bested USC less than two weeks earlier at the Best in the West tournament, an outcome that sophomore Adelina Okazaki and LaBreche secured, giving UCLA a one-point win.
Although courts one, two and three earned the Bruins’ win in the tournament championship Saturday, the final two courts gutted out game-deciding contests against Cal Poly on Friday.
The evening affair, a rarity for beach volleyball competitions, brought a considerable crowd, especially given that the Center of Effort Challenge marked the Mustangs’ senior night, Jordan said.
“It’s a big night. There’s usually a huge crowd, hostile environment. Our team did a really great job of staying focused on their courts,” Jordan said.
Brower and LaBreche evened the game at 2-2 after mounting a three-set, dual-match victory on court five, one of the pair’s three of the weekend across its four performances.
The final-court tandem forced Okazaki and junior Ava Williamson into a game-deciding matchup, where the court four pairing earned a 15-12 victory in the final frame to secure UCLA’s triumph against Cal Poly.
“As we play together, we get into more of a rhythm, and we have full confidence and trust each other no matter what situation we’re in,” LaBreche said.
UCLA will end its regular season campaign this week, facing Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday at Mapes Beach before heading to Merle Norman Stadium to play USC on Thursday.
And Jordan said the Bruins will continue to use these regular-season matchups to focus on marginal improvements ahead of the postseason campaign, which is set to start April 22 at the MPSF Tournament in Huntington Beach, California.
“We’ve put the time in, the training, the work, and we’re continuing to do that, but really, now is a time to refine and tweak,” Jordan said.
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