No. 4 UCLA Splits a Pair of Top Six Duals
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LOS ANGELES -- No. 4 UCLA (3-1) split a pair of top six duals on Thursday, defeating No. 6 Cal Poly (3-2), 5-0, in the morning and falling at No. 3 USC (4-0), 5-0, in the afternoon at USC's Merle Norman Stadium.
In the first dual against the Mustangs, the Bruins took a 2-0 lead in the first wave when Rileigh Powers and Jaden Whitmarsh defeated Cal Poly's Piper Naess and Delaney Peranich, 21-17, 21-12, on court five. Another straight-set win for the Bruins followed on court four as Lea Monkhouse and Cami Sanchez defeated Vanessa Roscoe and Josie Ulrich, 21-15, 21-19. The top three courts then took to the sand and the Bruins completed the 5-0 sweep without dropping a set, improving to 6-0 all-time against Cal Poly. Devon Newberry and Lindsey Sparks sealed the dual win for UCLA with a two-set victory over Jayelin Lombard and Amy Ozee, 21-17, 21-13. Lexy Denaburg and Savvy Simo made it 4-0 with a 21-17, 21-15 win on court one over Macy Gordon and Emily Sonny. Megan Muret and Jacqueline Quade completed the sweep with a tight, 21-19, 21-16 win on court three over Tia Miric and Eleonore Johansen.
The Bruins were swept, 5-0, by the Trojans in the second dual of the day, marking the first time UCLA had been swept since 2018 and snapping UCLA's three-match winning streak over USC and the Bruins' nine-match overall winning streak dating back to last season. USC now leads the Bruins in the all-time series, 13-11. Audrey and Nicole Nourse got the Trojans on the board with a 21-16, 21-18 win over Powers and Whitmarsh on court five. Monkhouse and Sanchez won the first set, but fell to USC's Joy Dennis and Delaynie Maple, 19-21, 21-16, 15-10 on court four. Then Haley Hallgren and Megan Kraft defeated Muret and Quade 21-10, 21-17 on court three to seal the win for USC. Hailey Harward and Julia Scoles posted a straight-set win over Newberry and Sparks 21-11, 21-14 on court two. The Trojans completed the sweep on court one, but it wouldn't be easy as Simo and Denaburg fought to claim the second set before falling in the third to 2021 Olympian Tina Graudina and Sammy Slater, 21-11, 22-24, 15-10.
The Bruins return to action on Saturday, March 6, when they host No. 8 California in a Pac-12 dual at 1:30 p.m. PT at Mapes Beach.
No. 4 UCLA def. No. 6 Cal Poly, 5-0
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
RECORDS: UCLA (3-0), Cal Poly (3-2)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Savvy Simo (UCLA) def. Macy Gordon/Emily Sonny (CP); 21-17, 21-15
2. Devon Newberry/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) def. Jayelin Lombard/Amy Ozee (CP); 21-17, 21-13
3. Megan Muret/Jacqueline Quade (UCLA) def. Eleonore Johansen/Tia Miric (CP); 21-19, 21-16
4. Lea Monkhouse/Cami Sanchez (UCLA) def. Vanessa Roscoe/Josie Ulrich (CP); 21-15, 21-19
5. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Piper Naess/Delaney Peranich (CP); 21-17, 21-12
Exh. Peyton Sper/Sam Strah (CP) def. Hannah Phair/Maggie Walters (UCLA); 21-14, 22-20
Order of finish: 5, 4, 2*, 1, 3
No. 3 USC def. No. 4 UCLA, 5-0
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
RECORDS: USC (4-0), UCLA (3-1)
1. Tina Graudina/Sammy Slater (USC) def. Lexy Denaburg/Savvy Simo (UCLA); 21-11, 22-24, 15-10
2. Hailey Harward/Julia Scoles (USC) def. Devon Newberry/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA); 21-11, 21-14
3. Haley Hallgren/Megan Kraft (USC) def. Megan Muret/Jacqueline Quade (UCLA); 21-10, 21-17
4. Joy Dennis/Delaynie Maple (USC) def. Lea Monkhouse/Cami Sanchez (UCLA); 19-21, 21-16, 15-10
5. Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse (USC) def. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA); 21-16, 21-18
Exh. Harper Hallgren/Maja Kaiser (USC) vs. Hannah Phair/Maggie Walter (UCLA); 21-19, 9-21
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3*, 2, 1