No. 1 UCLA Advances to NCAA Championship Match

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GULF SHORES, Ala. -- No. 1 UCLA (32-4) advanced to the NCAA Championship final on Sunday morning with a 3-0 sweep of No. 5 Loyola Marymount (31-8) in the contender's bracket final at the 2021 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship at Gulf Place. With the win, the Bruins improved to 15-3 all-time against the Lions.

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead after Abby Van Winkle and Lindsey Sparks posted a straight-set win on court three 21-17, 21-18 over LMU's Jessie Prichard and Savannah Slattery.

UCLA quickly went up 2-0 when Rileigh Powers and Jaden Whitmarsh won in two sets over Madi Firnett and Emma Doud on court five 21-16, 21-17, avenging an earlier loss to the Lions' pair.

Court one sealed the deal as UCLA's Savvy Simo and Lexy Denaburg defeated the Lions' Iya Lindahl and Megan Rice 21-19, 21-12 to complete the 3-0 sweep.

Two courts were unable to finish as their matches were called after the dual was clinched. On court four, UCLA's Megan Muret and Jacqueline Quade won the first set 21-15 over LMU's Darby Dunn and Jacinda Ramirez but were trailing 16-20 when time was called. On court two, LMU's Reka Orsi Toth and Selina Marolf led UCLA's Lea Monkhouse and Devon Newberry 22-20, 17-12.

The Bruins will take on No. 2 USC (29-4) in the NCAA Championship today at 10:30 a.m. PDT on ESPN2. The title match is a rematch of the 2019 NCAA Championship where second-seeded UCLA defeated top-seeded USC 3-0 without dropping a set.

No. 1 UCLA def. No. 5 LMU, 3-0
Gulf Place • Gulf Shores, Ala.
2021 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship
Sunday, May 9, 2021
RECORDS: UCLA (32-4), LMU (31-8)
1. Savvy Simo/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) def. Iya Lindahl/Megan Rice (LMU); 21-19, 21-12
2. Lea Monkhouse/Devon Newberry (UCLA) vs. Reka Orsi Toth/Selina Marolf (LMU); 20-22, 12-17 truncated
3. Abby Van Winkle/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) def. Jessie Prichard/Savannah Slattery (LMU); 21-17, 21-18
4. Megan Muret/Jacqueline Quade (UCLA) vs. Darby Dunn/Jacinda Ramirez (LMU); 21-15, 16-20 truncated
5. Rileigh Powers/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Madi Firnett/Emma Doud (LMU); 21-16, 21-17
Order of finish: 3, 5, 1*