Looking to get back to the NCAA semifinals for the second straight year, Cal Poly Beach Volleyball was close, but not close enough.
In a tightly contested quarterfinal matchup, Cal Poly fell 3-1 to the UCLA Bruins at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, bringing their season to an end and reinforcing the thin margin between competing and advancing on the sport’s biggest stage.
From the start, UCLA looked like the more seasoned postseason team. On court one, Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd set the tone with a composed 21-18, 21-19 win over Ella Connor and Erin Inskeep. It wasn’t a blowout, but it was controlled, the kind of match where Cal Poly stayed within reach without ever fully taking momentum.
That pattern carried through the match.
On court two, Izzy Martinez and Logan Walter dropped a 21-12, 21-17 decision, giving UCLA a 2-0 lead and putting immediate pressure on the Mustangs. With elimination looming, every remaining point mattered, and Cal Poly responded with its most competitive stretch of the morning.
Court three became the turning point. Quinn Perry and Ashleigh Adams battled UCLA’s Alexa Fernandez and Harper Cooper in a back-and-forth contest, but UCLA executed late in both sets, winning 21-19, 21-19 to clinch the dual.
Even after the outcome was decided, the remaining matches reflected just how narrow the gap was. On court five, Kenzie Brower and Mallory LaBreche pushed UCLA to extra points in both sets before falling 22-20, 23-21. Court four, meanwhile, was left unfinished, another reminder of how much was still in play.
That’s what will linger for Cal Poly.
This wasn’t a lopsided loss. It was a match defined by small margins, late-set execution, a few key swings, and UCLA’s ability to close. Across multiple courts, the Mustangs were within a handful of points of flipping the entire dual. But against a program like UCLA, those moments are everything.
The Bruins have long set the standard in collegiate beach volleyball, and once again, they showed why. For Cal Poly, the loss adds to a growing rivalry that has often seen UCLA play the role of gatekeeper.
Still, the bigger picture tells a different story.
Cal Poly’s season, highlighted by a Big West Championship and a strong NCAA tournament showing, signals a program that has firmly entered the national conversation. This wasn’t just a team that made it to Gulf Shores. It was a team that belonged there. Saturday’s loss may mark the end of the season, but it also clarifies what comes next.