The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) women’s beach volleyball team won two matches against Florida teams at the Texas Invitational on March 28. The Bruins, ranked No. 1, swept No. 17 North Florida with a score of 5-0 and defeated No. 16 Florida Atlantic, 4-1, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and one loss.
These victories are significant as they reinforce UCLA’s strong standing in collegiate beach volleyball and highlight their performance ahead of upcoming tournaments featuring top-ranked opponents.
In the opening match against North Florida, UCLA quickly secured victory in just under an hour. Harper Cooper and Alexa Fernandez earned the first point for UCLA on court three with a straight-set win. Kaley Mathews and Ensley Alden followed with another win on court two before Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd clinched the overall match by winning on court one. Ava Williamson/Jesse Dueck and Kenzie Brower/Mallory LaBreche also posted straight-set victories to complete the sweep.
Against Florida Atlantic later that day, Mathews/Alden and Boyd/Perez each won their matches in straight sets to give UCLA an early lead. Although FAU narrowed the gap by winning on court three—handing Cooper her first loss of the season—Williamson/Dueck secured UCLA’s overall victory with a close win on court four. Brower/LaBreche finished out the scoring for UCLA by taking their match in three sets.
Looking ahead, UCLA will compete next weekend at the Best in the West Tournament in Laguna Beach where they are scheduled to face four Top 10 teams: Stanford (No.2), USC (No.3), Cal Poly (No.4), and Long Beach State (No.10).
The Bruins’ results at this event position them strongly for upcoming challenges as they continue their season.
