SAN FRANCISCO - The top-ranked team in the nation, defending Pac-12 and NCAA Champion UCLA was voted the No. 1 seed in the fourth-annual Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship to be held Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27 at Merle Norman Stadium on the campus of USC. Seedings were determined by a ranking of the league’s coaches.

For the second-straight year, the Bruins are the top-seeded team in the nine-team event. UCLA claimed its first Pac-12 title last year, then followed up with its first-ever NCAA title. UCLA is 28-1 and has been ranked No. 1 in the country all season. It is led by seniors and twin sisters Nicole and Megan McNamara, who were named 2018 Pac-12 Pair of the Year.

The No. 2-ranked team in the country, USC is the second seed in the championship. Riding an eight-dual winning streak, the Trojans are 24-4 and are the only team in the country to have defeated the Bruins this season. They are led by 2018 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Tina Graudina and her senior partner Abril Bustamante, the top-ranked pair in the country.

CALIFORNIA (19-7) is the No. 3 seed for the second-straight year. Earning a top-10 national ranking this week, the Bears have knocked off two top-10 opponents this season. Cal is led by sophomore Mima Mirkovic and freshman Jordan Polo, who are ranked No. 20 in the country.

Seeded No. 4, ARIZONA appears to be the hottest team in the Pac-12 having not lost a dual since March 23, a streak of 14 which includes head-to-head matchups with four league squads. The Wildcats are 24-4 on the season, led by junior Natalie Anselmo and senior Madison Rigdon, who are 20-0 on the season and ranked No. 1 in the country at court three.

20th-ranked STANFORD (10-16) is the No. 5 seed in the championship posting wins over Conference foes Arizona (3-2, March 3) and Washington (3-2, April 6). The Cardinal, which has eight freshmen and sophomores on the roster, is led by junior Morgan Hentz, who has posted a 17-7 individual record with three different partners this season.

ARIZONA STATE is the No. 6 seed in the championship, posting a program-record 19 wins this season. The Sun Devils are led by the sophomore duo of Kate Baldwin and Samantha Plaster who just became ASU’s all-time winningest pair with 42 career victories.

WASHINGTON, which has 12 underclassmen on the roster, was tabbed the No. 7 seed. Seniors Destiny Julye and Kristen Gengenbacher have paired up to go 11-8 on court one this season. The Huskies are 8-14 on the season.

UTAH is the No. 8 seed going 5-7 in limited action this season. Junior Dani Drews and senior Tawnee Luafalemana on court one, and sophomore Kenzie Koerber and freshman Megan Yett on court two have been steady at their positions, each posting a 6-6 record on the season.

OREGON is the No. 9 seed in the championship. The Ducks have also seen limited action this season, going 4-9-1 with sophomorer Brooke Nuneviller and senior Lindsey Vander Weide posting the only winning record, going 7-4 on court one.

All three days of the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship will air live across Pac-12 Networks and on the Pac-12 Now app. For more detailed information on how to watch, see the Spring Championships Viewers Guide attached or visit pac-12.com.

Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship Seedings
1. UCLA
2. USC
3. California
4. Arizona
5. Stanford
6. Arizona State
7. Washington
8. Utah
9. Oregon