Last May, the Bruins became the first collegiate team to win the NCAA title through the elimination bracket.
Last weekend, UCLA beach volleyball (31-3) entered the elimination bracket in the Pac-12 championship after losing to USC (28-4), and won the elimination bracket final – but lost to the Trojans again in the championship final.
UCLA will travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama, as the No. 2 seed this week to defend its national title, with the possibility of making another run through the elimination bracket.
Winning a double-elimination tournament often requires facing the same team twice – something coach Stein Metzger said is difficult to do.
“Any time two good teams go to battle, it’s hard for any team to win twice in a row,” Metzger said.
Then-No. 4 seed Florida State defeated then-No. 1 seed UCLA in the second round of last year’s NCAA championship, sending the Bruins to the elimination bracket. The Bruins bounced back and won three matches in a row to earn a spot in the national championship against the Seminoles.
Senior Sarah Sponcil said there are advantages to coming out of the elimination bracket.
“We love coming out of the contender’s bracket,” Sponcil said. “We get to play a match in the morning, and (the winner of the winner’s bracket) is going to be able to maybe sit around. So they’re not going to have as much momentum.”
UCLA made it out of the elimination bracket in last weekend’s Pac-12 championship with a sweep of California on Saturday morning, but was unable to beat USC the second time around, despite having that momentum.
But junior Savvy Simo and sophomore transfer Lea Monkhouse bounced back on court four in Saturday’s final after losing to the Trojans on Friday.
Simo said the extra game Saturday morning – courtesy of the elimination bracket – helped the pair regain its stride.
“I think having a game in the morning to warm us up was good just to get our confidence back after the loss (Friday), because it was pretty brutal,” Simo said.
Should UCLA and No. 1 seed USC win their first two matches this weekend, the two teams will meet for the sixth time this season – of which the Trojans have won the last three – in the winner’s bracket final.
The loser will drop to the elimination bracket, where it will play one match for a chance compete against the winner in the NCAA championship.
Metzger said he is confident despite the losses suffered last weekend.
“(USC) seems to play a good 10 to 20% better at home,” Metzger said. “We’re looking forward to playing them on neutral territory, and I like our chances.”