#1 UCLA vs #4 LMU 5-3-2025 BVB Semifinal #1
Dear Readers~
I have returned with my latest UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and LMU (Loyola Marymount University) game coverage. The last time I covered a game between these two was in mid April as they played in Laguna Beach, California for the Laguna Best of the West but this time things are different. Things are different because it's the point in the season where if you lose, your season is over but if you win, you move on to the national championship. Withe UCLA having won it in 2018 and 2019, they want to return but with LMU having never won, they want to win, especially after having beaten the 4 time in a row national champion, USC, in the previous round of play. With all of UCLA's coaches being professional beach volleyball players, and 2 being Olympians, along with all 3 of LMU's coaches being professional beach volleyball players, but none being Olympians, you know it will be a good game. Now let's see who will be moving on and who will fall just one match short as I cover #1 UCLA taking on #4 LMU here in semifinal #1 of the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Beach Volleyball National Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
For those who don't know, NCAA and Professional Beach Volleyball have the winner determined a little differently. In both sports the pair who wins has to win 2 sets whether it be by winning both sets, first to 21 in this case, or by winning 2 of the 3 sets, with the first two sets playing to 21 and the third playing to 15, with all three requiring a lead of 2 points or more when the set is finished. In the pros once a pair win their two sets, they have won the game and move on in the bracket, but NCAA is a little different, just because you've won two of your sets doesn't always mean you've beaten the other school. In order for your school to win in NCAA your school has to win at least 3 of the 5 games they have going on against the other school. By that I mean each time a school plays against each other, they have their top 5 pairs playing each other and in order to win your school has to have at least 3 of your pairs beating 3 pairs of your opponents. Now let's get into the game of UCLA taking on LMU in the first semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Beach Volleyball National Championship.
This game will go in order of who finished, and with all five pairs finishing, let's get started to see who the deciding pair was. The first pair to finish was the 3's, or the third best pair, which had UCLA's Jessie Smith and Kenzie Brower taking on LMU's Abbey Thorup and Lisa Luini. The first set ended 21-17 while the second set ended 21-12, both in favor of UCLA and giving them a 1-0 lead over LMU. The next pair to finish were the 1's, or the top pair of each team, which had UCLA's Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd against LMU's Michelle Shaffer and Anna Pelloia. The first set ended 25-23 (remember that the first two sets end at 21 but a lead of 2 points or more is required to end any set) in favor of UCLA while the second set ended 21-18, also in favor of UCLA and giving them a 2-0 lead over LMU and only one win away from making it to the national championship. The next pair to finish was the 2's, or the second best pair, which had UCLA's Peri Brennan and Natalie Myszkowski against LMU's Chloe Hooker and Vilhelmiina Prihti. The first set ended at 22-20 (remember that lead of two points or more) while the second set ended at 21-16, both in favor of LMU and giving them a 1-2 trail to UCLA. The next game to finish was the 4's, or the fourth best pair of each team, which had UCLA's Alexa Fernandez and Kaley Mathews against LMU's Magdalena Rabitsch and Isabelle Reffel. UCLA won the first set 21-16 while LMU won the second set 21-14 and causing a third set. The third set ended 15-12 in favor of LMU and tying the score at 2-2 so it all comes down to the final game. This final game was the 5's, or the fifth best pair of each team, which had UCLA's Harper Cooper and Ensley Alden against LMU's Tanon Rosenthal and Guiliana Poletti. The first set ended 21-18 in favor of UCLA while LMU won the second set 21-19 and causing a third set. The third set ended 15-12 in favor of LMU and giving them the 3-2 victory to move on to the national championship.
That concludes today's coverage of the first semifinal of #4 LMU beating #1 UCLA and moving on to the national finals. Next week I will cover the second semifinal game so stay tuned for who that will include. With USC and now UCLA out of the tournament all thanks to LMU, that means a new national champion will be crowned. Will it be LMU or will it be a team from next week's coverage? Stay tuned and until next time, Miller out
~J. Miller
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