UCLA sand volleyball loses momentum, falls to Long Beach State in 3-2 loss
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)
By Aubrey Yeo
April 16, 2015 12:41 a.m.
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. 6 Long Beach State from 11 days ago in the back burner, forcing Long Beach State into a 2-0 deficit early in the match.
It just didn’t last.
The Bruins eventually gave up the next three sets to lose 3-2 to the 2013 national champions.
Behind the cheers of the home crowd at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, the No. 2 doubles team of fifth-year senior Madie Smith and freshman Elise Zappia managed to reverse their two-set loss to Tyler Jackson and Anete Brinke from April 4 into a 21-18, 21-19 victory.
The rooting for the home crowd then began to concentrate around juniors
UCLA’s No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams now rotated on both courts to play their respective matches following their teammates’ victories. For a while it seemed like it would be a race to see which team would win the deciding third match. The No. 1 pair of senior Zoë Nightingale and junior Kamila Tan leapt to a 21-14 first-set victory
But the Bruins’ (8-2)
With the score now tied at 2-2 and the fifth match being absolutely crucial for both teams, UCLA’s No. 5 partnership of Ivey Schmitt
The Bruins will only have two days to recuperate their loss as they will compete at the Pac-12 Team Invitational at the Annenberg Community Beach House
Compiled by Aubrey Yeo, Bruin Sports senior staff.
