Monserez, Smith Named Pac-12 Pair of the Week

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SAN FRANCISCO — UCLA graduate student Marlie Monserez (Windermere, Fla./Bishop Moore Catholic HS/Florida) and sophomore Jessie Smith (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel HS) have been named the Pac-12 Pair of the Week as announced by the league office today.

A relatively new pair for the Bruins (put together last week for the Pac-12 North Invitational), the duo went 4-0 on the weekend to help UCLA go undefeated at the Center of Effort Challenge on April 14-15.

Monserez and Smith improved to 6-0 on the year (3-0 each on courts four and five). They helped the Bruins improve to 30-2 with a 3-2 win over No. 1 TCU (the only team to beat the Horned Frogs this season) and a 3-2 win over No. 2 USC in the title match of the Center of Effort Challenge at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

While they won all four of their matches over the weekend, none were bigger than the straight-set win over the previously undefeated TCU pair of Rochelle Scott and Hailey Brockett on court five (the Horned Frogs’ duo was 20-0 entering that match).

This is the first weekly Pac-12 honor for both Monserez and Smith.

Also nominated: Taryn Ames & Sarah Waters, Arizona State; Sierra Caffo & Liz Waters-Leiga, California; Ella Tyus & Bea Wetton, Oregon; Charlie Ekstrom & Maya Harvey, Stanford; Madison Shields & Madison White, USC; Chloe Loreen & Natalie Robinson, Washington.

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

April 14: on court four def. Gracey Campbell/Gabriella Perez (No. 19 Pepperdine) 21-11, 16-21, 15-12

April 14: on court five def. Rochelle Scott/Hailey Brockett (No. 1 TCU) 21-17, 21-18

April 15: on court four def. Marina Warren/Margo Smith (Cal Poly) 21-10, 21-10

April 15: on court four def. Gabby Walker/Olivia Bakos (No. 2 USC) 21-18, 24-22