Newberry/Sparks Named Pac-12 Pair of the Week

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SAN FRANCISCO -- UCLA freshman Devon Newberry (Santa Monica, Calif.) and sophomore Lindsey Sparks (Huntington Beach, Calif.) have been named the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week as announced by the league office today.

The Bruins' court three pair of Newberry and Sparks helped UCLA go 4-0 against top-3 nationally ranked competition last week to improve to 15-1 on the year.

The fourth-ranked Bruins beat No. 3 LSU twice (4-1, 3-2) on Saturday, April 3, then swept a pair from No. 2 Florida State (4-1, 3-2) on Sunday, April 4.

In the win over the Tigers, the Bruin duo twice defeated Toni Rodriguez and Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope (now 18-4 on the year) in back-to-back three-set thrillers.

The UCLA tandem then took down the Seminoles' previously undefeated pair of Sara Putt and Maddie Anderson in another three-set thriller in the morning dual. The duo appeared headed for yet another three-set contest in the afternoon dual trailing, 18-13, but Newberry and Sparks went on a 9-2 run to win the second set 22-20 to claim their 10th consecutive victory while handing Putt and Anderson their second loss of the year (23-2).

The Bruin pair is now 13-1 on the year.

Also Nominated: Natalie Anselmo & Carly Lowry, ARIZ; Brooke Buchner & Ava Mann, CAL; Maddie Dailey & Jordan McKinney, STAN; Audrey Nourse & Nicole Nourse, USC.

2021 PAC-12 BEACH VOLLEYBALL PAIR OF THE WEEK