UCLA upset top-seeded USC twice in the Pac-12 championships to claim its second Pac-12 crown at UCLA’s Mapes Beach. UCLA went 4-0 on Pac-12 championship weekend, defeating Washington (3-0), Arizona (3-0), USC (3-1), and USC (3-2).
UCLA clinched the championship at the No. 5 pair, with Rileigh Powers and Jaden Whitmarsh winning a tightly contested second set 21-17, 23-21, sending the Bruins into a celebratory frenzy.
The Bruins have won the Pac-12 title in 2018 and 2021, with USC winning in 2016 and 2017.
The final Pac-12 conference tournament standings are: 1. UCLA, 2. USC, 3. Stanford, 4. Cal, 5. (tie), Arizona, 5. (tie) Arizona State, 7. (tie) Washington, 7. (tie) Oregon, 7. (tie). Utah.
UCLA coach Stein Metzger and his Bruins were happy to get the pair of wins over USC after three previous losses this year.
“We got two really big wins in the 2s, with Lea Monkhouse and Devon Newberry,” Metzger said. “They did not get all-tournament, but if there was an All-Sunday team, it was certainly them.”
The six pairs who were awarded Pac-12 All-Tournament honors:
Jordan Polo and Ainsley Radell, Cal
Emmy Sharp and Amelia Smith, Stanford
Abby Van Winkle and Lindsey Sparks, UCLA
Rileigh Powers and Jaden Whitmarsh, UCLA
Tina Graudina and Megan Kraft, USC
Joy Dennis and Delaynie Maple, USC
UCLA is the top seed for this week’s National College Beach Championship. Enjoy our photo gallery from the Pac-12 weekend:
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- Washington’s Hannah Yerex digs/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Hailey Harward stretches for a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Mima Mirkovic celebrates/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Tina Graudina celebrates a block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal celebrates the dual win/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Hailey Harward makes a splash/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Mima Mirkovic throws sand in celebration/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA’s Devon Newberry celebrates a block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Hailey Harward picks up a shot/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Charlie Ekstrom releases her emotions/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Arizona’s Alana Rennie makes an athletic save/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Nicole Nouse makes a diving save/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Washington’s Shayne McPherson digs a Savvy Simo spike/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Maya Harvey has an emotional win/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Jordan Polo and Ainsley Radell vie for the middle serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Oregon’s Carly Wallace (left) and Madelyn LaFollette communicate on the middle ball/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- The Cal bench joins Jordan Polo and Ainsley Radell in celebration/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA’s Rileigh Powers digs up a net serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Xolani Hodel comes off the block to dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Tina Graudina and Megan Kraft celebrate/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Arizona defender Alana Rennie gets an open net/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Caroline Schafer strains for the dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Arizona’s Dana Parker makes a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA’s Lea Monkhouse brings up a net serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Jordan McKinney extends for the dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Tina Graudina prepares to serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Maya Gessner chases a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Sunny Villapando watches the ball after a running save/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Utah’s Olivia Teerlink chases down a shot/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Mima Mirkovic stretches for the save/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Megan Kraft’s hair flips over in celebration/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Caroline Schafer tries to play a dig over/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA’s Lexy Denaburg chases a dig near USC coach Laurel Weaver as Haley Hallgren tries to pull her out of harm’s way/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA dogpiles Jaden Whitmarsh and Rileigh Powers/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Audrey Nourse gets an open net/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Washington’s Shayne McPherson goes all out for a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA’s Lea Monkhouse lays out for a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Caroline Schafer celebrates a Cal block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Xolani Hodel goes with the jump back pokey/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Ainsley Radell (left) jousts with Stanford’s Maya Harvey/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Maddie Dailey (left) and Jordan McKinney celebrate/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Delaynie Maple celebrates with Joy Dennis/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Utah’s Grace Anders hits the sand/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- ASU’s Emily Anderson plays a lefty savve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- The UCLA bench begins the celebration/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- ASU’s Emily Anderson saves a ball out of the net/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Sunny Villapando chases down the cut/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- UCLA’s Savvy Simo takes advantage of the open net/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Cal’s Mima Mirkovic scrambles for a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- ASU’s Lexi Sweeney makes a one-handed save/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Maya Harvey runs down a ball/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Megan Kraft hits at the retreating blocker/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Stanford’s Charlie Ekstrom bounces a set/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- USC’s Sammy Slater tries to get to the dig through Julia Scoles/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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- Jaden Whitmarsh celebrates a kill/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
This happened last weekend. It’s not news.