Top-Seeded UCLA Advances to NCAA Championship Semifinals

SOCIAL MEDIA: BeachVB on Twitter | BeachVB on Facebook | BeachVB on Instagram

GULF SHORES, Ala. — No. 1 UCLA (39-3) has advanced to the Semifinals with a 3-1 win over No. 8 California (29-10) on Saturday in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship at Gulf Beach Place. UCLA improved to 14-0 all-time against the Golden Bears.

California put the first point on the board on court three when Maya Gessner and Gia Fisher defeated graduate student Haley Hallgren and senior Rileigh Powers, 21-14, 21-16.

Graduate student Jaden Whitmarsh and senior Devon Newberry tied the dual at 1-1 with a 21-19, 21-13 win over Cal’s Brooke Buchner and Alex Young-Gomez.

Then UCLA went up 2-1 as graduate student Marlie Monserez and sophomore Jessie Smith defeated the Golden Bears’ Lexi McKeown and Ella Dreibholz, 21-19, 21-18 on court four.

UCLA’s court one pair of senior Lexy Denaburg and freshman Maggie Boyd clinched the dual victory over Sierra Caffo and Liz Waters-Leiga with a court one three-set thriller, 21-19, 16-21, 15-10.

Graduate student Abby Van Winkle and junior Peri Brennan were leading Cal’s Ainsley Radell and Ashley Delgado, 19-21, 21-18, 10-5 when time was called.

UCLA will face No. 4 Florida State (31-8) in the first Semifinal at 2:00 p.m. CT/12:00 p.m. PT today on ESPN2. The Bruins are 1-1 against the Seminoles this year. UCLA posted a 3-2 win in Gulf Shores, Ala., in the March to May event on Mar. 17 and FSU won 3-2 in Manhattan Beach, Calif., on April 1.

NOTES: UCLA has 24 sweeps on the year (five at the Pac-12 Championship), which is the most in program history (23 by the 2019 NCAA Championship squad) … Abby Van Winkle, the UCLA all-time career leader in wins, now has 127 … the Bruins improved to 14-0 all-time against the Golden Bears … Lexy Denaburg posted her 98th career victory against California.

No. 1 UCLA def. No. 8 California, 3-1

Gulf Place Beach • Gulf Shores, Ala.

Saturday, May 6, 2023 • 7:00 AM PT/9:00 AM CT

Records: UCLA (39-3), California (29-10)

1. Maggie Boyd/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) def. Sierra Caffo/Liz Waters-Leiga (CAL) 21-19, 16-21, 15-10

2. Abby Van Winkle/Peri Brennan (UCLA) vs. Ainsley Radell/Ashley Delgado (CAL) 19-21, 21-18, 10-5 DNF

3. Maya Gessner/Gia Fischer (CAL) def. Haley Hallgren/Rileigh Powers (UCLA) 21-14, 21-16

4.