GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball team put a lot of pressure on the No. 2 seeded UCLA team before ultimately falling 3-0 in a first-round matchup at the NCAA Tournament in Gulf Shores.
It concludes yet another historic season for the Islanders (28-10) who saw its season come to an end at the Big Dance for the third straight year following a closely contested match against the No. 2 seed. It was just the third ever meeting between A&M-Corpus Christi and UCLA.
Two courts battled to a third set with the Bruins, with
Madison Morrow/
Kristin Bobay at the No. 2 spot and
Jade Bennett/
Tori Johnson at flight four before the match was clinched. The other three courts didn't go easy either, as each court kept a close battle.
The ones pair of
Cassie Dodd/
Chloe Tome nearly forced a third, playing UCLA tight in the first before forcing the Bruins to beat them in extras 24-22 in the second.
The Islanders went in as the No. 15 seed, the program's highest ever seeding at the tournament.
Johnson finishes her Islanders career with 69 career wins, the most in program history. Dodd, the SLC Freshman of the Year, initiated her college career with a bang as she notched 28 individual wins, the most by an Islander in a single-season.
The 28 wins on the year marks a single-season record for the program, who also reached historical heights by being ranked #20 nationally for the first time in school or conference history for beach volleyball. The Islanders were in the AVCA Coaches Poll for five weeks this season.
Match Results – No. 2 UCLA 3, No. 15 A&M-Corpus Christi 0
1. Maggie Boyd/Lexy Denaburg (UCLA) def.
Cassie Dodd/
Chloe Tome (AMCC) 21-16, 24-22
2. Peri Brennan/Devon Newberry (UCLA) vs.
Madison Morrow/
Kristin Bobay (AMCC) 19-21, 21-11, 2-3 uf
3. Jessie Smith/Kenzie Brower (UCLA) def.
Hannah Doyle/
Stephanie Young (AMCC) 21-14, 21-13
4. Jaden Whitmarsh/Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA) vs.
Jade Bennett/
Tori Johnson (AMCC) 16-21, 21-15, uf
5. Natalie Myszkowski/Ensley Alden (UCLA) def.
Elizabeth Cortez/
Kela Moreno (AMCC) 21-15, 21-17
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