The University of California, Los Angeles women’s beach volleyball team won two matches on April 4 at the Best in the West Tournament in Laguna Beach, defeating No. 4 ranked University of Southern California by a score of 3-2 and sweeping No. 10 Long Beach State with a 5-0 victory. The results bring UCLA’s season record to 21-4.
These victories are significant for UCLA as they mark the second time this season that the Bruins have come from behind to defeat USC. In their match against USC, UCLA lost the first two courts but rallied to win the next three matches, including two that went to three sets. Harper Cooper and Alexa Fernandez secured UCLA’s first point on court three, followed by Maggie Boyd and Sally Perez who tied up the match after coming back from losing their first set. Adelina Okazaki and Mallory LaBreche clinched the deciding point for UCLA after also overcoming an initial set loss.
In their match against Long Beach State later that day, Okazaki and LaBreche started strong with a straight-set win on court four. Cooper and Fernandez continued their success with another win on court two. Kaley Mathews and Taylor Ford clinched victory for UCLA on court three in a tight three-set battle. The remaining points were also secured through competitive play across all courts.
According to details provided by UCLA Athletics, these wins reflect consistent performance throughout different pairings within the team lineup during high-pressure moments late in each dual.
Looking ahead, UCLA is scheduled to compete next week at the Center of Effort Challenge in San Luis Obispo.
