LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Oregon beach volleyball team capped day one of the Pac-12 South Invite with wins from its No. 1 and 2 pairs but, ultimately, suffered a 3-2 dual loss to No. 17 Arizona. With her win at the No. 2 spot with Ella Tyus, senior Bea Wetton collected her 30th-career victory. The Ducks lost to top-ranked UCLA in their first match of the day.
Down a set and facing an 18-16 deficit late in the second, Tyus and Wetton closed out the set with five of the last six points to force a third. It was the second time in as many matches against one another for the two teams—Abby Russell and Hope Shannon of Arizona—to play three.
The Wildcats’ duo led 8-6 in the third but Tyus and Wetton used a familiar 5-1 surge to go ahead 11-9 in the race to 15 points. The UO pair went on to secure the frame, 15-12, and post the Ducks’ first point of the day.
Arizona took the early match lead with a straight-set win on court four but the Tyus-Wetton tied things with the second wave of matches starting. However, the Wildcats picked up wins at No. 3 and 5 to grab the dual win.
Despite the overall setback, Zoe Almanza and Chloe Brown posted the Ducks’ second tally with a sweep at the No. 1 spot. The UO pair used extra points in each set to come away with a 22-20, 25-23 win over Sarah Blacker and Alex Parkhurst. The second frame was the longest (by score) for any Oregon team this year.
The Ducks’ stay in LA continues Sunday with matches against 12th-ranked Cal at 8 a.m. followed by the team’s weekend finale against No. 16 Washington at 2 p.m. As part of the event’s broadcast schedule, the Oregon-Cal match will air live on Pac-12 Oregon. Click HERE for the full 2023 schedule.
#1 UCLA 5, Oregon 0
1: Maggie Boyd/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) def. Zoe Almanza/Chloe Brown (ORE) – 21-7, 21-15
2: Peri Brennan/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Ella Tyus/Bea Wetton (ORE) – 21-15, 21-11
3: Sophie Moore/Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Abby Plevin/Batia Rotshtein (ORE) – 21-13, 21-9
4: Haley Hallgren/Rileigh Powers (UCLA) def. Natasha George/Ashley Schroeder (ORE) – 21-14, 21-8
5: Natalie Myszkowski/Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA) def. Lolo Folau/Valerie Peterson (ORE) – 21-9, 21-13
6*: K.Greene-Agnew/M. Monserez (UCLA) def. Josie Griffiths/Presley McCaskill (ORE) – 21-10, 21-2
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5, 1, 3
* – exhibition
#17 Arizona 3, Oregon 2
1: Zoe Almanza/Chloe Brown (ORE) def. Sarah Blacker/Alex Parkhurst (UA) – 22-20, 25-23
2: Ella Tyus/Bea…
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