As part of the inaugural MPSF beach volleyball championship, No. 1 seed UCLA beach volleyball (29-4) will take to the sand of Spiker Beach in Huntington Beach, California. With the top overall seed, the Bruins earned a first-round bye and will face No. 4 seed California (26-7). Before UCLA opens play Thursday at 11 a.m. in the quarterfinal, Daily Bruin Sports’ beach volleyball beat predicts where the Bruins will finish in the MPSF tournament.

Una O’Farrell
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Runner-up

Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan said it herself – in the majority of the Bruins’ five-set affairs, the threes pair ended up being the most decisive.

Now that’s purely based on timing, with the twos and fours pairs normally starting off games, while the ones and fives courts face staggered start times all before the third pair begins.

And while redshirt sophomore Kenzie Brower has consistently performed on court three, unlike most other Bruin pairs, she’s done so with varying partners.

Brower has shared duties with senior Jessie Smith, redshirt sophomore Ensley Alden and freshman Alexa Fernandez – all across this season alone.

And in the Bruins’ Senior Day matchup against the Trojans on April 17, wins on the first, second and fifth court had already secured the overall victory for UCLA before attention turned to the final court of play – court three.

And while energy was high with a pocketed victory over last year’s national champions, Brower and Fernandez’s straight-set collapse was an anticlimactic end to a high-stakes triumph.

That’s not to say the Bruins aren’t consistent – freshman Sally Perez and junior Maggie Boyd have played in all but one match together on the ones court, winning 25 of their 29 matchups that played to completion.

But it takes more than one pair to win a conference championship. And like Jordan said, when that tiebreaker comes down to the third court, it’s never a guarantee.

Chloe Agas
Daily Bruin staff
Prediction: MPSF champions

I usually zero in on teams I think will dominate across every sport each season.

For women’s volleyball, Penn State. For men’s soccer, Vermont or Ohio State. For women’s basketball, it was a tight race, but UConn ultimately reigned supreme. Football? Definitely not UCLA.

And in beach volleyball, it’s usually UCLA or USC. Like clockwork, the script always circles around the crosstown rivals as tournament finalists.

The Bruins held up a 29-4 record all season, with the four losses being to Texas Christian, Cal Poly, Loyola Marymount and of course – USC. However, in the last few weeks USC has fallen from their previous top ranking to No. 5, and the grip of a team who once dominated has loosened.

And now I’m not so sure.

Southern California powerhouses have long claimed the biggest titles in beach volleyball.

But this year may redefine the ending.

The Bruins lost to then-No. 1 Trojans at the beginning of the season in five sets. But the script flipped when the Bruins ended their regular season by defeating the Trojans – with the top ranking now belonging to them.

A team’s camaraderie isn’t quantifiable in the same way end results or statistics are. It is the battle that lies in the sand that tells the true story.

Johnson said being able to handle the pressure and coming out on top in prolonged battles is the team’s advantage – and now it is their strongest weapon.

Last year, we saw the cardinal and gold hold up the trophy.

But this year? I’m betting on blue and gold.

Zoe Vilchez

Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: MPSF champions

This may be the first-ever MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship, but the rivalries are anything but new. Born on the beaches of Los Angeles, beach volleyball has long been dominated by LA schools – so it’s no surprise the NCAA championship title has never left this proud city.

But is this the end of USC’s golden era?

For the past four years, the Trojans have reigned supreme, consistently relegating UCLA to second place or worse. Now, the tides may be shifting.

The odds seem even on the surface. The crosstown rivals are tied on the season, with the Bruins taking the more recent win over the Trojans. USC lost key players to graduation last year, and it seems their team has taken the hit. Is this the year UCLA finally brings it home? Despite four tough losses this season, UCLA appears to have learned from its past mistakes – especially when it comes to USC.

Other programs will certainly contend for the inaugural MPSF title, but historically, it’s been a two-school race. After all, only USC and UCLA have ever claimed the NCAA championship crown.

Against the rest of the tournament field, UCLA has the clear advantage – they’ve beaten every other team they’ll face in the bracket. Schools such as Stanford show promise, but simply haven’t delivered results. The Cardinal doesn’t appear to have what it takes to top the Bruins.

So the question remains: Will UCLA claim the title of the first-ever MPSF champions? If they can get past USC, there may be no stopping them – not just from taking the MPSF crown, but from capturing the NCAA title as well.