No. 2 UCLA Beats Two Top Five Teams

BATON ROUGE, La. -- No. 2 UCLA (17-4) earned a pair of dual victories against Top 5 teams on day one of the Death Volley Invitational on Friday, posting a 4-1 win over No. 5 Florida State and a 5-0 sweep of No. 4 TCU at LSU Beach Volleyball Stadium. The Seminoles dropped to 20-3 on the year and the Horned Frogs fell to 18-4.
 
The Bruins improved to 16-9 all-time against the FSU Seminoles and also improved to 6-4 all-time against the TCU Horned Frogs.

To begin the morning dual against FSU, redshirt freshman Kenzie Brower and junior Jessie Smith sealed the Bruins' win on court three, defeating Audrey Koenig and Raelyn White in two easy sets, 21-11, 21-14.

In the afternoon dual against TCU, Brower and Smith again clinched UCLA's win on court three with a straight-set win over Ana Vergara and Tara Patton, 21-12, 21-19. Graduate student Lexy Denaburg and sophomore Maggie Boyd completed the sweep with a hard-fought 24-22, 21-19 win on court one over TCU's Hailey Hamlett and Anhelina Khmil.
 
UP NEXT: The Bruins will take on No. 17 Florida Atlantic tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. PT and then close out the tournament with the hosts, No. 10 LSU, at 2:45 p.m. PT.
 
No. 2 UCLA def. No. 5 Florida State, 4-1
LSU Beach Volleyball Stadium • Baton Rouge, La.
Friday, March 29, 2024 • 8:15 AM
Records: UCLA (16-4), FSU (20-3)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Maggie Boyd (UCLA) def. Maddie Anderson/Alexis Durish (FSU) 21-18, 13-21, 15-11
2. Anna Long/Alli Hansen (FSU) def. Devon Newberry/Peri Brennan (UCLA) 14-21, 21-17, 15-12
3. Kenzie Brower/Jessie Smith (UCLA) def. Audrey Koenig/Raelyn White (FSU) 21-11, 21-14
4. Tessa Van Winkle/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Caitlin Moon/Erin Murphy (FSU) 21-17, 21-15
5. Natalie Myszkowski/Ensley Alden (UCLA) def. Carra Sassack/Kaeli Crews (FSU) 22-20, 21-17
EXH. Rileigh Powers/Sophie Moore (UCLA) vs. Maddie Trusty/Makenna Wolfe (FSU) 21-16, 19-21, DNF
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3*, 2, 1
 
No. 2 UCLA def. No. 4 TCU, 5-0
LSU Beach Volleyball Stadium • Baton Rouge, La.
Friday, March 29, 2024 • 2:30 PM
Records: UCLA (17-4), TCU (18-4)
1. Lexy Denaburg/Maggie Boyd (UCLA) def. Hailey Hamlett/Anhelina Khmil (TCU) 24-22, 21-19
2. Devon Newberry/Peri Brennan (UCLA) def. Sutton MacTavish/Anete Namike (TCU) 21-15, 21-13
3. Kenzie Brower/Jessie Smith (UCLA) def. Ana Vergara/Tara Patton (TCU) 21-12, 21-19
4. Tessa Van Winkle/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Luana Araco/Hallie Corinne Frist (TCU) 21-16, 21-15
5. Natalie Myszkowski/Ensley Alden (UCLA) def. Olivia Clines/Morgan Williams (TCU) 21-18, 21-13
EXH. Reagan Hope/Madeline Bonanni (UCLA) def. Brooke Sheely/Keagan Polk (TCU) 23-21, 21-16
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3*, 2, 1