UCLA took home its second straight NC beach volleyball national title with a win over USC on Sunday. The Bruins secured the championship with a 3-0 sweep over their cross-town rivals.
UCLA's win came over the only other team to claim the national title in the four-year history of NC beach volleyball. USC was the national champ in 2016 and 2017. The Trojans made it to the national title match after beating LSU earlier in the day on Sunday. After going down 2-0 to the Tigers, USC stormed back and won the next three matches, all of which ended within minutes of each other, for a stunning turnaround that clinched a title match bid. USC's road to the title match hit a stumble with a loss in the first round, but the No. 1-seed Trojans ripped off four straight wins to get to Sunday afternoon.
CHAMPIONSHIP: Final interactive bracket | Printable bracket |
Izzy Carey and Lindsey Sparks brought UCLA its first point of the day in the No. 5 pairs match, and Madi Yeomans and Savvy Simo won the No. 4 pairs match moments later. The Bruins didn't need to wait for all five matches to get the win, as Abby Van Winkle and Zana Muno swept their opponents in the No. 3 pairs match to end it.
Championship Point! goes back-to-back on the beach with a win at the 3's!
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball)
The 2019 championship participants, announced April 28, seeded Nos. 1-8 were:
- Southern California (28-4)
- UCLA (31-3)
- Florida State (28-5)
- Pepperdine (20-9)
- LSU (29-6)
- Cal Poly (25-10)
- Hawaii (26-9)
- Stetson (29-8)
The championship started Friday, May 3 with eight total matches, including two elimination games. Three more teams were eliminated on Saturday, May 4, with No. 2 UCLA clinching a spot in the championship match. On Sunday, May 5, the second finals spot will be locked up in the morning, followed by the title match at 2 p.m. ET.
2019 NC beach volleyball championship schedule & results:
| DATE/TIME (ET) | MATCHUP | TV SCHEDULE |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, May 3, 10 a.m. | No. 8 Stetson 3, No. 1 USC 1 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 11 a.m. | No. 5 LSU 3, No. 4 Pepperdine 0 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 12 p.m. | No. 2 UCLA 3, No. 7 Hawaii 2 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 1 p.m. | No. 3 Florida State 3, No. 6 Cal Poly 0 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 2 p.m. | No. 1 USC 3, No. 4 Pepperdine 0 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 3 p.m. | No. 7 Hawaii 3, No. 6 Cal Poly 0 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 4 p.m. | No. 5 LSU 3, No. 8 Stetson 2 | ESPNU/ |
| Friday, May 3, 5 p.m. | No. 2 UCLA 3, No. 3 Florida State 0 | ESPNU/ |
| Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. | No. 1 USC 3, No. 3 Florida State 1 | ESPN2/ |
| Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m. | No. 7 Hawaii 3, No. 8 Stetson 0 | ESPN2/ |
| Saturday, May 4, 12 p.m. | No. 2 UCLA 3, No. 5 LSU 0 | ESPN2/ |
| Saturday, May 4, 1 p.m. | No. 1 USC 3, No. 7 Hawaii 0 | ESPN2/WatchESPN |
| Sunday, May 5, 10:30 a.m. | No. 1 USC 3, vs. No. 5 LSU 2 | ESPN2/WatchESPN |
| Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m. | No. 2 UCLA 3, USC 2 | ESPN/WatchESPN |
Follow below for a full recap from the 2019 championship:
TICKETS: 2019 beach volleyball championship info | Buy tickets and plan your trip
All four of the 2019 NC beach volleyball championships in the sport's official championship history have been hosted in Gulf Shores, Alabama. USC captured the first two titles in 2016-17, with UCLA coming out on top each of the past two seasons.
