Beach volleyball sweeps California without dropping a set

The Bruins rebounded after suffering a historic loss earlier in the week.

No. 4 UCLA beach volleyball (4-1, 3-0 Pac-12) bounced back from a loss Thursday afternoon against No. 3 USC (4-0) to sweep No. 8 California (2-1, 1-1 Pac-12) by a score of 5-0 on Saturday afternoon.

After getting swept by the Trojans for the first time since 2016, coach Stein Metzger said the two-time defending national champions benefited from being back on their home court.

“We ran into a blitz by (USC), they played a great game,” Metzger said. “Today we had a chance to play on our own surface, and the elements play a big factor in our sport. The playing surface has a lot to do with how the game is played.”

Metzger has described his team as a set and pass team in comparison to the bigger and stronger teams like the Trojans and Golden Bears, which he said tend to see the strengths of their games in jumping and spiking. The 2018 USMC/AVCA National Coach of the Year said his team benefited from returning to their home sand not just because of the playing surface, but also because of the familiarity.

“We are on our own courts and it is harder to jump here, so I feel like that affected Cal negatively and helped us,” Metzger said. “Being back on our own surface and own courts at Mapes Beach, there is a sense of comfort playing there.”

UCLA also saw the season debut of sophomore Abby Van Winkle, who defeated Alexia Inman and Brooke Buchner with partner junior Lea Monkhouse in straight sets on court three. Van Winkle – who last competed on March 11 of last year – said she wasn’t just looking forward to getting back out on the sand, but also to play with Monkhouse for the first time.

“It was just so exciting to get back out there and play, that excitement just took over and allowed me to play my game,” Van Winkle said. “Just playing with (Monkhouse) was super fun, I think we were super fired up and I think we complimented each other well today.”

Metzger also discussed the impact of the member of the 2019 NCAA All-Tournament Team returning to the Bruins.

“(Van Winkle’s return) is huge, she blocked the game-winning championship point for us as a freshman and she has only developed from there,” Metzger said. “She’s got height and a really high volleyball IQ, so I think (her return) will be a big boost for us going forward.”

UCLA saw its first point of the day scored on court four, where junior Megan Muret and graduate student Jacqueline Quade took both sets by scores of 21-15 and 21-17.

On court five, redshirt freshman Jaden Whitmarsh and freshman Rileigh Powers took down their opponents in straight sets, 21-18, 21-11. On court one, graduate student Savvy Simo and freshman Lexy Denaburg finished off the day by also defeating their California adversaries in two sets by scores of 21-17 and 21-16.

The Bruins won their match point on court two, where the closest match of the day took place. Freshman Devon Newberry and sophomore Lindsey Sparks defeated the Golden Bears in the first set by a score of 21-17 but needed an extra point to finish off the match by a count of 22-20.

“I think the match taught us a pretty big lesson of when we’re not having our best game, we can work around it and win the game for our team,” Newberry said. “(Sparks) and I really have a good relationship about communicating and firing each other up.”

Newberry said for most of the second set, she and Sparks played a little tight and added the key to coming up in the clutch was realizing the pair was not just there to compete, but also to enjoy themselves.

“During the last couple of points, we talked in a timeout before (about) how this is all suppose to be fun, and even if we aren’t playing our best, let’s have a really good time in these next couple of points,” Newberry said. “We then ended up playing the best we had in those last couple of points.”

After its last four matches have resulted in one side sweeping the other, UCLA will be back in action Thursday when it faces No. 9 Pepperdine (0-2) in a dual meet at Mapes Beach.