MORAGA, Calif. — Facing Saint Mary's for the third time this season — and the second time in four days — the UC Davis beach volleyball team was able to extend a pair of matches to three sets on Thursday evening, but the host Gaels emerged with a 5-0 sweep of the Aggies in Moraga, Calif.
UC Davis fell to 5-17 overall with the defeat, while Saint Mary's, which opened the season among those teams receiving votes in the national poll, improved to 7-5 overall on the year.
Straight set wins at the threes and twos staked the Gaels to the early lead before the Aggie tandem of
Alicia Letvin and
Ashlee Goycoochea became locked in a battle with Madison Baumann and Karmin Brown at the fives. Letvin and Goycoochea rebounded from a 22-20 loss in the opening set to win the second, 21-18, but Baumann and Brown proved too tough, winning the third, 15-7, to clinch the match.
Saint Mary's then posted a straight set win at the ones, ending a three-match winning streak by UC Davis'
Paloma Bowman and
Colleen McGuire, a run which included a win over Thursday's opponents, Alexsa Parker and Hawley Harrer, earlier in the week.
That left the fours still to play as
Rose Holscher and Alexsa Rockas split the first two sets with Jennifer Laird and Morgan Kendrick by identical 21-14 scores. However, the Gael tandem bounced back for a 15-11 victory in the third, wrapping up the victory.
UC Davis is scheduled to close out the home portion of its 2021 slate on Sunday (April 18) at 2 p.m., welcoming San Jose State back to the UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts. The Aggies handed the Spartans a 5-0 defeat back on April 11 in the first meeting between the two teams this year.
NCAA WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEYBALL
April 15, 2021 at Moraga, Calif.
Saint Mary's 5, UC Davis 0
1. Alexsa "Crash" Parker/Hawley Harrer (SMC) def.
Paloma Bowman/
Colleen McGuire (UCD) 21-16, 21-17
2. Chandler Cowell/Elena Baka (SMC) def.
Heather Reed/
Megan Luly (UCD) 21-16, 21-12
3. Jasmin Suarez/Sienna Young (SMC) def.
Jane Seslar/
Madelin Smith (UCD) 21-12, 21-12
4. Jennifer "Boo" Laird/Morgan Kendrick (SMC) def.
Rose Holscher/
Alexa Rockas (UCD) 21-14, 14-21, 15-11
5. Madison Baumann/Karmin Brown (SMC) def.
Alicia Letvin/
Ashlee Goycoochea (UCD) 22-20, 18-21, 15-7
Order Finish: 3, 2, 5*, 1, 4
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