Beach volleyball earns win over Arizona in Pac-12 quarterfinal
Freshman Nicole McNamara, along with her twin Megan, defeated an opposing Arizona twin duo to advance in the Pac-12 tournament. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Winston Bribach
April 30, 2016 9:03 p.m.
The Pac-12 championship quarterfinal had huge implications for UCLA beach volleyball Saturday, as Arizona was hot on the Bruins’ tail for a coveted spot at the national championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama. UCLA needed to deliver, and it did.
Like the two teams’ showdown earlier in the season, the No. 4 Bruins (19-4) bested the No. 6 Wildcats (17-4), coming out on top 4-1.
“I think it’s the start of something sweet for this weekend,” said coach Stein Metzger. “We’ll see if we can carry on.”
The highlight of the day came in a showdown of twins – freshmen Megan and Nicole McNamara for UCLA, and Madison and McKenna Witt for Arizona. This was the third meeting between the two pairs, with the Witt twins claiming victories the previous two times, including Friday in the Pairs competition.
On Saturday afternoon, however, the McNamara twins got the last laugh, winning the flight in straight sets.
“That was gigantic – playing in the (No.) 1 spot is no easy task,” Metzger said. “It’s a gauntlet, and (the twins) have taken some tough losses because we’ve scheduled top teams all year. For them to get that win, it’s going to give them a huge confidence boost moving into the rest of the tournament and hopefully the NCAAs.”
Next up for UCLA is host USC (28-2), which currently holds the No. 1 national ranking, in the Pac-12 semifinal. A win will guarantee the Bruins a place in Gulf Shores, though a loss will likely not significantly hurt their chances at gaining a spot in the national tournament.
