Postseason volleyball is here. No. 2 seed UCLA beach volleyball (27-4) will begin its MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship slate Wednesday against No. 10 seed San Jose State (9-19) or No. 7 seed LSU (20-14). If the Bruins win their first-round matchup, they will play Thursday with a chance to clinch a spot in the Friday finals round. UCLA fell to USC 3-1 at last year’s MPSF tournament, which ended its conference championship run. Assistant Sports editor Grant Walters and Daily Bruin contributor Jaelyn Chung predict how the squad will fare this year.

Grant Walters
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Finals loss to Stanford

Stanford has UCLA’s number.

The Cardinal have bested the Bruins in three of the squads’ last four matchups extending back to last year’s MPSF tournament.

And the sole win UCLA recorded against Stanford was at Mapes Beach on March 7.

Both teams will travel to Huntington Beach, California for what will likely be another UCLA-Stanford bout in the final.

But the Cardinal defeated the Bruins in their last three neutral-site affairs.

The same outcome is inevitable in the conference tournament, especially because UCLA has struggled to close out tightly-contested contests in 2026.

Coach Jenny Johnson Jordan’s squad has played in eight matches that have gone to a fifth set. The Bruins lost half of those games, which accounts for all their losses in 2026.

Meanwhile, the Cardinal prevailed in 10 five-set bouts and dropped just two in the regular season.

Although the Bruins have arguably been more dominant, the Cardinal have been more clutch.

That’s what matters in the postseason.

And UCLA will fall yet again in the MPSF tournament.

Yet, this time the Bruins won’t sustain a loss to their crosstown rival.

They will lose to their northern foe.

Jaelyn Chung
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: MPSF champions

An eight-game winning streak and a 27-4 overall record says it all.

No. 2 seed UCLA has unrivaled momentum heading into this tournament after defeating crosstown rival USC on Thursday.

The Bruins’ secret weapon?

Their No. 1 pair.

Sophomore Sally Perez and senior Maggie Boyd won in straight sets against USC’s Kennedy Coakley and Zoey Henson, adding to their 27-3 overall record this season.

Their chemistry and resilience has carried the Bruins throughout the regular season.

And they will not let their team down this postseason.

However, the squad will have to face the most challenging hurdle of the season – defeating its Northern California counterpart.

Stanford is one of three teams UCLA has fallen to this season. The most recent matchup between the top two teams ended in a tight 3-2 loss.

But the Bruins will best the Cardinal in this week’s likely matchup, a feat they already achieved in the regular season.

Apart from Stanford, UCLA’s path to victory is clear.

Revenge is the greatest fuel for a top team’s success.

And after falling short in last season’s MPSF tournament, the Bruins are looking to capitalize on a new shot for success in 2026.

Their ability to bounce back after a loss, familiarize themselves with their opponent and strategize against top-ranked teams is unprecedented.

UCLA will take home the MPSF tournament title.