No. 1 UCLA Wins Twice at Pac-12 North Invitational

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PHOENIX -- No. 1 UCLA (17-1) posted back-to-back dual victories on the first day of competition at the Pac-12 North Invitational hosted by Arizona State on the campus of Grand Canyon at GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium. UCLA opened with a 5-0 sweep of Arizona State (4-8) and closed out the day with a 4-1 win over No. 7 Stanford. With the wins, the Bruins improved to 7-1 all-time against the Sun Devils and 13-0 all-time against Stanford.

In the opening dual, Lexy Denaburg and Savvy Simo were met with little resistance on court one from the Sun Devils' Katelyn Carballo and Lexi Sweeney as the Bruin duo would win in straight sets, 21-11, 21-14.

Devon Newberry and Lindsey Sparks put the Bruins up 2-0 with a 21-16, 21-14 win on court three over ASU's Emily Anderson and Kate Fitzgerald.

Lea Monkhouse and Abby Van Winkle clinched the dual win with a 21-17, 21-18 victory over Cierra Flood and Sarah Waters.

Court five's Rileigh Powers and Jaden Whitmarsh made it 4-0 Bruins with a 21-16, 21-19 win over Taryn Ames and Lauren Weintraub.

That set up Megan Muret and Jacqueline Quade to complete the sweep, but they had to go three sets to do it, defeating ASU's Lila Bordis and Samantha Plaster, 21-19, 19-21, 15-8.

In the second dual, Simo and Denaburg were the first to finish again, defeating Stanford's court one offering of Charlie Ekstrom and Sunny Villapando, 21-17, 21-14.

Monkhouse and Van Winkle put the Bruins up 2-0 after a 22-20, 21-13 win over Xolani Hodel and Kate Reilly on court two.

Court four's Quade and Muret had to go to three sets again, but dominated in the third to clinch the dual win for the Bruins over the Cardinal's Maddie Dailey and Jordan McKinney, 12-21, 21-12, 15-5.

On court five, Powers and Whitmarsh rallied to defeat Emmy Sharp and Amelia Smith in a three-set thriller, 18-21, 21-17, 15-12, to put UCLA up 4-0.

Stanford was able to salvage a point on court three where Maya Harvey and Maddi Kriz outlasted UCLA's Newberry and Sparks, 22-20, 16-21, 16-14.

The Bruins return to action on Sunday, April 11, when they face Washington at 9:00 a.m. PDT and then No. 12 Arizona at 2:00 p.m. PDT.

No. 1 UCLA def. Arizona State, 5-0
GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium • Phoenix, Ariz.
Saturday, April 10, 2021
RECORDS: UCLA (16-1), ASU (4-8)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Savvy Simo (UCLA) def. Katelyn Carballo/Lexi Sweeney (ASU); 21-11, 21-14
2. Lea Monkhouse/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Cierra Flood/Sarah Waters (ASU); 21-17, 21-18
3. Devon Newberry/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) def. Emily Anderson/Kate Fitzgerald (ASU); 21-16, 21-14
4. Megan Muret/Jacqueline Quade (UCLA) def. Lila Bordis/Samantha Plaster (ASU); 21-19, 19-21, 15-8
5. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Taryn Ames/Lauren Weintraub (ASU); 21-16, 21-19
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2*, 5, 4

No. 1 UCLA def. No. 7 Stanford, 4-1
GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium • Phoenix, Ariz.
Saturday, April 10, 2021
RECORDS: UCLA (17-1), Stanford (14-5)
1. Savvy Simo/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) def. Charlie Ekstrom/Sunny Villapando (STAN); 21-17, 21-14
2. Lea Monkhouse/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Xolani Hodel/Kate Reilly (STAN); 22-20, 21-13
3. Maya Harvey/Maddi Kriz (STAN) def. Devon Newberry/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA); 22-20,16-21, 16-14
4. Jacqueline Quade/Megan Muret (UCLA) def. Maddie Dailey/Jordan McKinney (STAN); 12-21, 21-12, 15-5
5. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Emmy Sharp/Amelia Smith (STAN); 18-21, 21-17, 15-12
Order of finish: 1, 2, 4*, 5, 3