A May statement extended a season built on consistency.
No. 3 seed UCLA beach volleyball (31-6) swept No. 14 seed Tulane (26-14, 1-5 CUSA) in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday in Gulf Shores, Alabama, punching the former’s ticket to the national quarterfinal while extending its streak to 10 consecutive quarterfinal appearances since the NCAA championship’s debut in 2016.
The Bruins needed just three courts to seal the victory.
Redshirt junior Kenzie Brower and freshman Mallory LaBreche delivered the opening point on court five for the Bruins, controlling the match from the outset in a 21-12, 21-13 triumph against the Green Waves’ Avery Burks and Lauren Mann. The straight-set win handed UCLA an early 1-0 advantage and put immediate pressure on Tulane across the remaining courts.
“We always talk about racing each other to get a point on the board just because you want to do that for your teammates and everyone wants to do it for each other,” Brower said. “It feels really good when you’re able to do that and start off the whole dual on a really good note.”
Sophomore Sally Perez and senior Maggie Boyd soon doubled the lead on court one.
After battling through a tighter opening frame, the MPSF Pair of the Year held off Molly Trodd and Skylar Ensign 21-16, 21-14 to move the Bruins within one point of advancing.
Boyd – who earned UCLA’s first AVCA Player of the Year award on Thursday – once again provided steadiness in the postseason, pairing veteran composure with Perez’s offensive execution to push UCLA ahead.
The straight-set victory gave UCLA a two-point cushion with three courts still undecided.
Redshirt sophomore Kaley Mathews and redshirt junior Ensley Alden clinched the duel on court two, cruising to a 21-10, 21-16 win against Tulane to officially send UCLA to the quarterfinal round.
For Alden, sealing the Bruins’ advancement was a moment they had prepared for.
“We don’t know whose court it’s going to come down to, so it’s about controlling what we can control and going out there being fearless and having fun,” Alden said. “We had full confidence in each other and in our team.”
Courts three and four were halted mid-contest, with the match already decided.
Junior Ava Williamson and freshman Jesse Dueck were locked in an 18-18 set-two battle on court four, while sophomore Alexa Fernandez and redshirt sophomore Harper Cooper trailed narrowly in the second set despite winning the dual’s closest set on court three before play was stopped.
But by then, UCLA had already accomplished what it had grown accustomed to doing in the NCAA tournament – winning decisively and moving on.
