The news came in Monday, five days before UCLA was scheduled to play its last regular season meet at the Aloha Invitational in Waikiki, Hawaii. It turned out that would be the Bruins’ last meet of the season. Read more...

Photo: This weekend’s Aloha Invitational will mark the end of UCLA sand volleyball’s team season and the end of Madie Smith’s five-year career. The fifth-year senior played for both the women’s indoor volleyball team and the sand volleyball team during her time in Westwood. (Matt Cummings/Daily Bruin)

The Bruins travelled west of campus to their old stomping grounds at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica on Sunday for the Pac-12 Invitational, but any chance of a happy homecoming was gone with the wind. Read more...

Photo: Fifth-year senior Madie Smith (right) said she and her partner freshman Elise Zappia let fatigue get the better of them in their 21-17, 21-18 loss to ASU’s Jordy Checkal and Bethany Jorgensen. A revitalized Smith and Zappia were able to pick up the win in a rematch in the pairs tournament on the next day, winning 22-20, 21-17. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Just last weekend, UCLA sand volleyball completely swept the Stanford Invitational Tournament, winning its three matchups of the team tournament and all three divisions of the pairs tournament. Read more...

Photo: Junior Kamila Tan (right) and the rest of the UCLA sand volleyball team will be competing at the Pac-12 Invitational this weekend at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. (Matt Cummins/Daily Bruin)

It was a good start for UCLA’s sand volleyball team. No. 8 UCLA played like a team that managed to put its 5-0 defeat to No. Read more...

Photo: Junior Karly Drolson led a comeback to win her match, but it was not enough as the Bruins fell 3-2 to Long Beach State. (Jose Ubeda/Daily Bruin staff)

The general consensus within the UCLA sand volleyball team is that the players just need a little rest and relaxation before Wednesday’s game. Prior to No. Read more...

Photo: Senior Zoë Nightingale (pictured) won the No. 1 doubles division in the Stanford Invitational Pairs Tournament with her partner, junior Kamila Tan. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Just last weekend, the No. 8 UCLA sand volleyball team (5-1) suffered a 5-0 defeat against then-No. 5 Long Beach State (8-2), adding the first point to the right side of their record. Read more...

Photo: Freshman Ivey Schmidt said that the Bruins match up well with the other teams in the Stanford Invitational. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)

The number five meant a couple of different things to the No. 8 UCLA sand volleyball team this weekend. UCLA opened the competition on Saturday morning in dominating fashion, ending its fifth game of the season by completing a 5-0 sweep against No. Read more...

Photo: UCLA’s doubles pair of junior Julie Consani (pictured) and sophomore Laurel Weaver was the only Bruin team to win a set in the Bruins’ 5-0 loss to the Long Beach State 49ers Saturday. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)