No. 2 UCLA Wins the Battle for LA with Two More Victories

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LOS ANGELES-- No. 2 UCLA (9-0) remained undefeated and won the Battle for LA with a 3-2 win over No. 7 GCU and a 4-1 win over No. 11 Cal Poly on Sunday at Mapes Beach. Both duals were part of the Battle for LA, co-hosted by USC and UCLA. With the two victories, UCLA improved to 5-0 all-time against GCU and 9-0 against Cal Poly. 

In the win over the Lopes, Allanis Navas and Allison Hansen put GCU on the board first with a tight straight-set win over the Bruin duo of senior Lea Monkhouse and sophomore Rileigh Powers, 21-18, 23-21.

The Bruins tied it at 1-1 in another three-set thriller when freshmen Sophie Moore and Natalie Myszkowski rallied to defeat Abbie Hughes and Madi Relaz, 23-25, 21-19, 15-11, to remain undefeated on the year at 9-0.

GCU went up 2-1 after former Bruin Cami Sanchez paired with Dana Roskic to defeat graduate transfer Marlie Monserez and freshman Jessie Smith on court five, 21-16, 13-21, 15-10.

Sophomore Lexy Denaburg and junior Abby Van Winkle tied it up for the Bruins, 2-2, with a straight-set win on court one over Anaya Evans and Jess Vastine, 21-15, 21-16.

Sophomore Devon Newberry and redshirt sophomore Jaden Whitmarsh then sealed the win for UCLA with a court three win over GCU's Teagan DeFalco and Samaya Morin, 21-17, 21-19.

In the dual against Cal Poly, Myszkowski and Moore put the Bruins up 1-0 with a court four win over the Mustangs' Addison Hermstad and Peyton Dueck, 21-15, 21-11.

Monkhouse and Powers rallied to put UCLA up 2-0 with a three-set-thriller on court two over Cal Poly's Piper Ferch and Jayelin Lombard, 14-21, 21-16, 15-12.

Whitmarsh and Newberry clinched the dual for the Bruins with a straight-set win over Delaney Peranich and Eleonore Johansen, 21-14, 21-13.

Vanessa Roscoe and Josie Ulrich held off a strong rally from Smith and Monserez to score the first point of the dual for Cal Poly on court five, 24-22, 17-21, 15-11.

Denaburg and Van Winkle provided the 4-1 final score with a straight-set win over CP's Tia Miric and Ella Connor on court one, 21-17, 21-19.

The Bruins have a week off before heading to Gulf Shores, Ala., to compete in the March to May tournament at Gulf Place Beach, the site of the NCAA Championship. UCLA will open up the tournament with Florida Atlantic on Friday, Mar. 18 at 9:00 a.m. PT.

No. 2 UCLA def. No. 7 GCU, 3-2
Mapes Beach • Los Angeles
Sunday, Mar. 6, 2022 • 10:00 AM PT
Records: UCLA (8-0), GCU (4-2)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Anaya Evans/Jess Vastine (GCU) 21-15, 21-16
2. Allanis Navas/Allison Hansen (GCU) def. Lea Monkhouse/Rileigh Powers (UCLA) 21-18, 23-21
3. Devon Newberry/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Teagan DeFalco/Samaya Morin (GCU) 21-17, 21-19
4. Sophie Moore/Natalie Myszkowski (UCLA) def. Abbie Hughes/Madi Relaz (GCU) 23-25, 21-19, 15-11
5. Cami Sanchez/Dana Roskic (GCU) def. Marlie Monserez/Jessie Smith (UCLA) 21-16, 13-21, 15-10
EXH. Pani Napoleon/Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Mackenzie Harris/Krista Rowan (GCU) 21-11, 21-16
Order of finish: 2, 4, 5, 1, 3*

No. 2 UCLA def. No. 11 Cal Poly, 4-1
Mapes Beach • Los Angeles
Sunday, Mar. 6, 2022 • 2:00 PM PT
Records: UCLA (9-0), CP (2-6)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Ella Connor/Tia Miric (CP) 21-17, 21-19
2. Lea Monkhouse/Rileigh Powers (UCLA) def. Piper Ferch/Jayelin Lombard (CP) 14-21, 21-16, 15-12
3. Devon Newberry/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Delaney Peranich/Eleonore Johansen (CP) 21-14, 21-13
4. Sophie Moore/Natalie Myszkowski (UCLA) def. Addison Hermstad/Peyton Dueck (CP) 21-15, 21-11
5. Vanessa Roscoe/Josie Ulrich (CP) def. Marlie Monserez/Jessie Smith (UCLA) 24-22, 17-21, 15-11
EXH. Rachel Rahtz/Erika Foreman (CP) vs. Pani Napoleon/Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA), 21-18, 15-21, truncated
Order of finish: 4, 2, 3*, 5, 1