The Bruins had competed in the Pac-12 championship game for the last six years.

And in their seventh straight, they made sure to deliver.

No. 1 seed UCLA beach volleyball (37-3) began the weekend defeating Utah (11-23) by a score of 3-0, until a 3-2 loss to No. 4 seed Stanford sent the Bruins to the contenders bracket. There they swept Arizona (21-12) and USC (28-5) before adding another sweep over California (28-9) to clinch the Pac-12 title. UCLA became only the second team to ever win the whole tournament after being in the contender’s bracket.

The Bruins started off strong on the tournament’s first day, sweeping Utah, but finished the day with their first-ever loss to the Cardinal.

In UCLA’s first game against Stanford, it rallied but ultimately fell 3-2. Senior Rileigh Powers and graduate student Haley Hallgren were defeated in the first set, 22-20. They rallied and won the second set 21-18, leaving it up to a third set to decide the match.

UCLA was down 13-12 after a shot by Stanford was called out by the down referee. However, the senior official checked the mark and reversed the decision, awarding Stanford three match points to correct the score to 14-11, costing UCLA the game. On the following point, the Cardinal would serve an ace to defeat UCLA for the first time in program history.

Despite the loss, coach Stein Metzger said the Bruins were unfazed.

“After that first loss, I looked at them and realized they were not going to waver,” Metzger said. “They were going to be fine.”

According to senior Lexy Denaburg, the Stanford loss was the best thing to happen to the team.

“I think we took it really well, and it lit a fire in us,” Denaburg said.

The third and final day was a day of high stakes as the Bruins were set to take on Stanford again, and they would also go up against their crosstown rival USC. UCLA knew of the responsibility on its back, and it delivered.

“We know we can play this team well. We are just looking for another opportunity to have another crack at them,” Metzger said

The Bruins were out for redemption as they swept the Cardinal 3-0 with wins on courts two, four and five.

The redemption victory over Stanford launched UCLA into the title contest against California.

Senior Devon Newberry, who just came back to competition after two injuries, partnered up with graduate student Jaden Whitmarsh on court three, where they had the last point to secure the win from a point from the sideline of the court. The combination of aggressive swinging and net patrolling secured the third Pac-12 championship in UCLA history.

Whitmarsh emphasized the excitement of playing again with Newberry.

“We just wanted to prove ourselves and wanted to make the most out of it,” Whitmarsh added. “We took everything point by point, and that is what allowed us to win.”

For now, the Bruins will celebrate their championship win, but they will have a quick turnaround to prepare for the NCAA championships happening next week.

“We are fired up – a great opportunity to celebrate the team – but the job is not done,” Metzger said.