After eight NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship tournaments, the queens of the sand have resided in Southern California. And that might continue this year, but if so, it will be a new local team reigning supreme.
Loyola Marymount will play for its first national championship Sunday in Gulf Shores, Alabama, after taking out four-time defending champion USC in the quarterfinals Saturday, followed by a 3-2 upset of top-seeded UCLA in the semifinal.
In doing so, LMU ensured that, for the first time since the tournament began in 2016, the national championship would not feature a team from UCLA or USC. The tournament was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Coached by John Mayer, who is in his 10th season, fourth-seeded LMU (38-6) will take on second-seeded Texas Christian (31-5), which is also playing for its first national crown, at 7:30 a.m. PT Sunday (ESPN). The Horned Frogs advanced to the final with a 3-1 victory over sixth-seeded Cal Poly after blanking rival Texas, seeded seventh, 3-0 in the quarterfinal.
The Lions’ path was far from easy as they won three consecutive points to knock off the Bruins (32-7), who were seeking their third title and first since 2019.
Kenzie Brower and Jessie Smith got UCLA on the board with a 21-17, 21-12 win on court three over Lisa Luini and Abbey Thorup. Maggie Boyd and Sally Perez then defeated Anna Pelloia and Michelle Shaffer 25-23, 21018 on court one to put the Bruins within a point of their sixth national-title appearance.
LMU wouldn’t be denied. Chloe Hooker and Vilhelmiina Prihti took down Peri Brennan and Natalie Myszkowski 22-20, 21-16 on court two, followed by Isabelle Reffel and Magdalena Rabitsch rallying on court four for a 16-21, 21-14, 15-12 triumph over Alexa Fernandez and Kaley Mathews.
That meant all eyes on court five, where LMU’s Giuliana Poletti Corrales and Tanon Rosenthal were locked in a battle with Ensley Alden and Harper Cooper. The Lions opened with a 21-18 win, but the Bruins responded to win 21-19. The third and final set ended 15-12, with Poletti Corrales tapping a winner down the left side to kick off the celebration.
The Lions advanced to the semifinal by ousting USC, in search of its seventh trophy, by a 3-1 count.
LMU opened the quarterfinal by winning the first sets at all five positions against the fifth-seeded Trojans (27-11). Luini and Thorup helped pave the way to victory on court three with a 21-17, 21-18 defeat of Maya Gessner and Mabyn Thomas, followed by Poletti Corrales and Rosenthal putting LMU up 2-0 with a 22-20, 21-16 win over Madison Goellner and Kaileigh Truslow on court five.
USC’s Delaney Karl and Ella Larkin cut the lead in half by knocking off Rabitsch and Reffel by a 15-21, 21-14, 15-9 score on court four. The Trojans’ rally and hopes were dashed soon after when Pelloia and Shaffer posted a 21-13, 14-21, 15-7 top-court win over Zoey Henson and Madison White.
UCLA kicked off the day with a 3-0 dispatching of eighth-seeded Florida State. The team of Brower and Smith earned the first point with a 21-10, 21-12 victory on court three.
Minutes later on court two, Brennan and Myszkowski won 21-15, 21-15 to get the Bruins within one. Boyd and Perez needed three sets on the top court but wrapped it up 21-19, 19-21, 15-11 to propel the Bruins to the semifinals.