California State University at Northridge
UCLA
CSUN Falls to Top-Ranked UCLA & Pepperdine to Cap Battle for LA
3/1/2025 4:41:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The CSUN beach volleyball team (2-4) wrapped up the 2025 Battle for LA Tournament on Saturday, falling 5-0 to top-ranked UCLA before dropping a tight 3-2 decision to Pepperdine at Mapes Beach on the UCLA campus.
NO. 1Â UCLA 5, CSUN 0
The Matadors opened the day against the top-ranked team in the latest AVCA Collegiate Beach poll. UCLA would claim all five scoring pairs beginning with the No. 2's as Peri Brennan and Natalie Myszkowski swept Tia Mendiola and Ainsley Patrick, 21-7, 21-11. Hannah Fleming and Tessa Van Winkle made it 2-0 Bruins with a 21-18, 21-8 win over Maleya Miles and Layla Cederlind on the No. 4 court. UCLA then clinched the dual win in the No. 5 pair when Reagan Hope and Adelina Okazaki swept Hannah Heflin and Morgan Gillinger, 21-7, 21-17. The final two pairs also went to the hosts as Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd earned a 21-10, 21-9 win over Tasha Mae and Kinley Lindhardt at No. 1 and Kenzie Brower and Ensley Alden defeated Haley Coggins and Dylan Hall on the No. 3 court by the score of 21-14, 21-11.
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PEPPERDINE 3, CSUN 2
The Matadors went into their final dual match of the weekend seeking their first-ever win over the Waves in six all-time meetings. CSUN came up agonizingly short in a 3-2 loss that saw the No. 4 and No. 5 pairs pick up the Matadors' lone wins on the day. Miles and Cederlind got CSUN on the board first with a 21-13, 21-14 victory over Emma Bubelis and Marley Johnson in the No. 4 pair. Pepperdine pulled even with a 2118, 21-16 win in the No. 2 pair as Madison Oriskovich and Gabriella Perez topped Mendiola and Patrick. The No. 3 pair also went to the Waves as Emma Eden and Ella Foto defeated Coggins and Hall by the score of 21-15, 21-19. CSUN would then even the dual at two wins apiece when Heflin and Gillnger took a 22-20, 21-14 victory over Emi Erickson and Deanie Woodruff at No. 5. The turned all the attention to the No. 1 match and after the pairs traded the first two sets, Kate Clermont and McKenna Thomas held off Mae and Lindhardt 15-6 in the deciding third set to seal the win.
HEAD COACH ARI HOMAYUNÂ SAID
"Another great day of high-level volleyball. UCLA definitely proved why they are the number 1 team in the country. They are very good at what they do, incredibly efficient, and disciplined. A tough loss against Pepperdine. We had different people step up today, and it just wasn't quite enough. Hopefully we can continue to iron it out and have all five pairs firing on all cylinders at the same time. Another round of good competition coming up, we need to dig deep and get tough and make a statement this week."
UP NEXT
The Matadors return home to host three tri-duals next week, beginning on Wednesday (Mar. 5) against Mercer and Cal State Bakersfield.
NO. 1 UCLA 5, CSUN 0
#1. Perez/Boyd (UCLA) def. Mae/Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-10, 21-9
#2. Brennan/Myszkowski (UCLA) def. Mendiola/Patrick (CSUN), 21-7, 21-11
#3. Brower/Alden (UCLA) def. Coggins/Hall (CSUN), 21-14, 21-11
#4. Fleming/Van Winkle (UCLA) def. Miles/Cederlind (CSUN), 21-18, 21-8
#5. Hope/Okazaki (UCLA) def. Heflin/Gillinger (CSUN), 21-7 21-17
#6. Dodd/Ford (UCLA) def. Gonzalez-Hughes/Bazylevych (CSUN), 21-13, 21-13
#1. Clermont/Thomas (PEPP) Mae/Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-17, 20-22, 15-6
#2. Oriskovich/(PEPP) def. Mendiola/Patrick (CSUN), 21-18, 21-16
#3. Eden/Foti (PEPP) def. Coggins/Hall (CSUN), 21-15, 21-19
#4. Miles/Cederlind (CSUN) def. Bubelis/Johnson (PEPP), 21-13, 21-14
#5. Heflin/Gillinger (CSUN) def. Erickson/Woodruff (PEPP), 22-20, 21-14
#6. Gonzales-Hughes/Bazylevych (CSUN) vs. McSpadden/Avelar, 16-21, 21-15
#GoMatadors
