Gallery: Beach Volleyball defends NCAA title
No. 2 seed UCLA beach volleyball returned to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to defend its national title. The Bruins won the winners bracket with a victory over No. 5 seed LSU to advance to the championship on Sunday.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
The Bruins hold hands prior to the NCAA championship final against crosstown rival No. 1 seed USC. UCLA was 2-3 against the Trojans prior to Sunday, with two of its losses coming in the Pac-12 championship last weekend.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Junior Savvy Simo digs a hit from USC’s court four pair in the first flight. Simo played alongside sophomore transfer Lea Monkhouse for the majority of the season, and the pair went 3-1 against the Trojans’ Joy Dennis and Maja Kaiser.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Senior Izzy Carey blocks Mollie Ebertin en route to a 21-16, 21-15 win on court five, that gave the Bruins their first point of the dual. The match ended on Carey’s ace – which was the last of her career.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Dennis reacts after Simo and junior Madi Yeomans score a point on court four to extend their lead. The Bruins took the match 21-16, 21-19 to put UCLA up 2-0.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
UCLA’s bench players wave a school flag in celebration as the Bruins sweep the first flight.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Simo and Yeomans are embraced by their teammates after their court four win. The juniors were paired together for the first time this season in Friday’s second match and went 2-0 on the weekend, with one match going unfinished.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Senior Zana Muno digs a serve in the first set of the court three match, which ended with UCLA ahead 22-20.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Senior Nicole McNamara reacts after scoring a point in the second set over USC’s Abril Bustamante and Tina Graudina – the only pair that has defeated Nicole and Megan McNamara this season. The court one match was truncated, but UCLA won the first set.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Freshman Abby Van Winkle dives to keep the ball alive in the court three match, which decided the dual. Van Winkle blocked Alexandra Poletto on the Bruins’ match point – clinching the title for UCLA.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
The Bruins rushed court three after Muno and Van Winkle clinched the dual with a 22-20, 21-13 win.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
UCLA lifts the NCAA trophy in celebration of its second consecutive national championship, Nos. 116 and 117 for the school.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Megan McNamara (left) hugs Sponcil (right) in honor of the seniors’ final match together. Both players will go on to compete professionally after graduating from UCLA.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
The Bruins – adorned with their national championship t-shirts – yell with excitement after the team was presented with the NCAA trophy.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Junior Lily Justine (left) and freshman Hawley Harrer (right) cut the net after the Bruins’ victory.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Freshman Lindsey Sparks signs her portion of the net. Sparks and her partner Carey gave the Bruins their first dual point in the victory and finished the season with a 13-match winning streak.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Monkhouse (left), Sparks (middle) and Van Winkle (right) show off their trophies on top of the NCAA championship bracket that was carved into a sand bank. All three players will return to the Bruin roster – which graduates five seniors – next season, with an NCAA title under their belts.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Van Winkle (right) – who competed in her first NCAA championship – hugs Muno (left) after the senior’s final trip to Gulf Shores. The court three pair went 25-5 on the season, including the win that clinched the NCAA championship.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
Nicole (left) and Megan McNamara (right) grasp each other as they run out of the water for their second and final time as Bruins. The seniors have played on court one for UCLA since their freshman year, and will stick together as they continue their professional careers.
(Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
