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2021 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championships

April 29 - May 1 | Los Angeles, CA
Mapes Beach (UCLA)

UCLA claims 2021 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship title

by Pac-12 Conference
May 1, 2021

Pac-12.com/BVBChamps | Pac-12 Record Book

LOS ANGELES - The host UCLA Bruins upset top-seeded and top-ranked USC twice on Saturday, including a 3-2 victory in the championship dual, to claim the 2021 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship title at Mapes Beach. It marks the second time in the five-year history of the event the Bruins have claimed the crown (2018, 2021).

The second-ranked team in the country, UCLA (28-3) went a perfect 4-0 over the three days of the championship to claim the league trophy. It marked the fourth-straight championship that the rival Bruins and Trojans met in the dual for the crown.

The final day of the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship opened with UCLA taking a decisive 3-1 dual over USC (26-4) to advance to the title match. The day continued with the Trojans sweeping STANFORD (23-11), 3-0, in the contenders bracket final to set up a rematch to decide the champion.

USC's Joy Dennis/Delaynie Maple took the first point of the match with a 21-16, 21-16 win on court No. 4. The Bruins’ No. 2 pair of Lea Monkhouse/Devon Newberry battled to the wire in three sets 15-21, 21-12, 15-13 to even the dual at 1-1. The Trojans responded with a top-court win from Tina Graudina/Megan Kraft to move back in front 2-1. 

UCLA’s Abby Van Winkle/Lindsey Sparks brought the dual even once again at 2-2, leaving it to court No. 5. After winning the first set 21-17, Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh went to extra points and got a deciding block that caught the tape to clinch the match, dual and title, 23-21.

At the conclusion of the Championship, six pairs were named to the Pac-12 Championship All-Tournament Team:
Jordan Polo/Ainsley Radell, CALIFORNIA
Emmy Sharp/Amelia Smith, STANFORD
Abby Van Winkle/Lindsey Sparks, UCLA
Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh, UCLA
Tina Graudina/Megan Kraft, USC
Joy Dennis/Delaynie Maple, USC

Pac-12 teams wait for the NCAA selections which will be announced Sunday, May 2 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. PT on NCAA.com. The 2021 NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship will be held at Gulf Shores Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., May 7-9.

PAC-12 BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY (HOST SCHOOL)
2021 - UCLA (UCLA)
2020 - No Competition
2019 - USC (USC)
2018 - UCLA (STAN)
2017 - USC (ARIZ)
2016 - USC (USC)

2021 PAC-12 BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Mapes Beach, Los Angeles, California (UCLA)
* all Duals played to decision

Saturday's Results

Dual 1: #2 UCLA 3, #1 USC 1

  1. Tina Graudina/Megan Kraft (USC) def. Savvy Simo/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) 21-11, 21-16 
  2. Lea Monkhouse/Devon Newberry (UCLA) def. Julia Scoles/Sammy Slater (USC) 21-15, 21-16 
  3. Abby Van Winkle/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) v. Hailey Harward/Haley Hallgren (USC) 21-17, 19-18, unfinished 
  4. Megan Muret/Jacqueline Quade UCLA def. Joy Dennis/Delaynie Maple (USC) 21-17, 22-20
  5. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse (USC) 21-18, 21-16
    Order of finish: 2,4,1,5

Dual 2: #4 Stanford def. #5 California, 3-0

  1. Xolani Hodel/Sunny Villapando (STAN) def. Mima Mirkovic/Caroline Schafer (CAL) 21-16, 21-23, 10-5 unfinished
  2. Charlie Ekstrom/Maya Harvey (STAN) def.Jordan Polo/Ainsley Radell (CAL) 20-22, 22-20,18-16 
  3. Maddi Kriz/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Alexia Inman/Ava Mann (CAL) 21-19, 21-12
  4. Emmy Sharp/Amelia Smith (STAN) def. Maddie Micheletti/Maya Gessner (CAL) 21-15, 21-15 
  5. Jordan McKinney/Maddie Dailey (STAN) def. Brooke Buchner/Grace Paulson (CAL) 13-9 unfinished
    Order of finish: 4,2,3

Dual 3: #1 USC def. #4 STANFORD, 3-0

  1. Tina Graudina/Megan Kraft (USC) v. Xolani Hodel/Sunny Villapando (STAN) 21-19, 16-13 unfinished
  2. Julia Scoles/Sammy Slater (USC) def.  Charlie Ekstrom/Maya Harvey (STAN) 21-13, 21-19
  3. Hailey Harward/Haley Hallgren (USC) def. Maddi Kriz/Kate Reilly (STAN) 21-11, 21-13
  4. Joy Dennis/Delaynie Maple (USC) def. Amelia Smith/Emmy Sharp (STAN) 21-18, 21-13
  5. Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse (USC) v. Jordan McKinney/Maddie Dailey (STAN) 21-17, 12-9 unfinished
    Order of finish: 4,2,3

Dual 4: #2 UCLA 3, #1 USC 2 

  1. Tina Graudina/Megan Kraft (USC) def. Savvy Simo/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) 21-19, 21-17
  2. Lea Monkhouse/Devon Newberry (UCLA) def. Julia Scoles/Sammy Slater (USC) 15-21, 21-12, 15-13 
  3. Abby Van Winkle/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) def. Hailey Harward/Haley Hallgren (USC) 11-21, 21-15, 15-13 
  4. Joy Dennis/Delaynie Maple (USC) def. Megan Muret/Jacqueline Quade (UCLA) 21-16, 21-16 
  5. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse (USC) 21-17, 23-21
    Order of finish: 4, 2, 1, 3, 5

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