Santa Cruz’s Jesse Dueck helped the No. 3 seed UCLA’s beach volleyball team win the NCAA Division I championship at Gulf Beach Place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Sunday.
The Bruins (34-6 overall), playing in their sixth national final since 2018, earned their third title.
“When I woke up the morning of nattys, I felt the most peaceful I’ve felt before a game. I knew we were going to be national champions,” Dueck wrote in a text to the Sentinel on Monday. “I had full confidence in our preparation and I knew we were taking home that trophy. I knew the Lord was going to provide the strength I needed to earn my team a dual point. He gave me unshakable confidence and strength through every game this season and I give all glory to Him.”
UCLA beat No. 14 Tulane 3-0 in the first round on Friday, No. 6 Cal Poly-SLO 3-1 in the second round and slipped past No. 2 Texas 3-2 in the semifinals on Saturday, and topped No. 1 Stanford 3-0 on Sunday.
Dueck, a freshman out of Soquel High playing with Ava Williamson, went 2-0 at No. 4 pairs in the NCAA Tournament and improved to 13-2 together on the season. They posted the Bruins’ first win, 21-17, 21-19 over the Longhorns’ Chloe Charles and Eva Liisa Kuivonen in the semifinals, and posted the second win, 21-17, 25-23, over Stanford’s Indigo Clark and Clara Stowell in the championship.
Dueck and Williamson didn’t need to finish her matches against Tulane and Cal Poly-SLO. Dueck finished the season with a 17-2 record.
Santa Cruz’s Hannah Fleming, a redshirt sophomore, is also a member on the Bruins’ championship squad. She went 1-1 on the year.
American Southwest Championships: UC Santa Cruz sophomores Samantha Shaw and Adeline Truong took fourth and fifth, respectively, at the American Southwest Conference Championships at White Bluff Golf Club in Lake Whitney, Texas, on Sunday.
Shaw shot a 22-over-par 238 total and Truong totaled a 24-over 240. They were both named first-team all-conference on Monday.
Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Camryn Kiser was medalist with a 14-over 230 total and led the Crusaders (69 over) to the team title. UCSC (104 over) took second, Hardin-Simmons (142 over) was third, and East Texas Baptist (160 over) took fourth.
Olivia Lew (ninth; 246 total), Maya London (T10; 249), Shelly Areepitak (14th; 252) also scored for the Banana Slugs. Lew was named second-team all-conference.
Santa Cruz Masters Cup (Amateur): Chabre Schumacher of Seligman, Arizona, won the mixed amateur title with a 6-under 156 total at the 2026 Santa Cruz Masters Cup at DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course on Sunday.
C.J. Sells of Fresno took second at 2-under 160.
Austin Westly (163) of Rohnert Park edged Robin Johnston (164) of Santa Cruz for third place.
The Santa Cruz Masters Cup (Pro) tournament takes place at DeLaveaga on May 15-17.
Central Coast Senior Girls Soccer All-Star Game: Team Green beat Team Black 5-0 in the inaugural Central Coast Senior Girls Soccer All-Star Game at Santa Cruz High on Sunday.
Aptos midfielder Alexa Castaneda, the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League’s co-Player of the Year in 2025-26 and a Fresno State University commit, scored four goals. Hollister midfielder Zamaya Rivera added a goal.
Both teams were without their original goalies. Team Green, coached by Aptos’ Gina Castaneda, picked up Scotts Valley’s Jazzy Phillips, but Team Black, coached by Santa Cruz’s Poul Shiebel, was forced to use a field player in net.
The senior showcase was put on by the Reggie Stephens Foundation (RSF), in partnership with the Gino Panelli Foundation (GPF).
McPherson’s grandson is in playoffs: Cooper Hunter Kistler, son of Tori, formerly McPherson, and Dave Kistler and grandson of Bruce and Mary McPherson, is a captain for Princeton University, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA D-I Tournament.
Bruce McPherson, a retired politician whose family owned the Sentinel from 1864-1982, is a Santa Cruz resident.
The Tigers (13-2) open the first round on Saturday against the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between Marist (11-4) and Stony Brook (10-5).
Princeton defeated Cornell,19-9, in the Ivy League Tournament championship on Sunday.
Kistler, a senior defender/midfielder, has two assists and 19 ground balls.
Coaches are encouraged to report scores and highlights to sports@santacruzsentinel.com following games. Please include your name and contact number in the email.
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