Women’s Beach Volleyball | May 04, 2024
GULF SHORES, Ala. – The top-seeded and No. 1-ranked USC beach volleyball team (36-5) advanced to the NCAA championship dual for the seventh time following a 3-0 win over fifth-seeded and No. 6-ranked Cal Poly (31-7) in the NCAA tournament semifinals at Gulf Beach Place on Saturday, May 4.
The Trojans seek a fourth consecutive national title and own five of the seven previous NCAA championships (2016, ’17, ’21, ’22, ’23). USC improved to 10-0 in meetings with the Mustangs and moved to 30-4 in NCAA tournament duals. The Trojans are now 154-18 in duals when they are ranked No. 1 in the AVCA coaches’ poll and improved to 37-8 in the state of Alabama. Across individual courts, USC moved to 94-32 in matches at the tournament.
The Women of Troy punched their ticket to the championship dual when freshman Ashley Pater and graduate Grace Seits fought through a 21-17, 28-26 win over Piper Naess and Logan Walter at court four. The USC duo improved to 11-1 together and have won four straight.
USC scored the first point of the dual from the top court where senior All-Americans Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple collected a 21-13, 21-16 win over Ella Connor and Izzy Martinez. Kraft-Maple improved to 35-4 on the season and to 63-7 all-time.
The Trojans went on top, 2-0, when twin graduates Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse finished off a 23-21, 21-17 win over Quinn Perry and Lindsey Sparks at the No. 3 position. The victory moved Nourse-Nourse to 31-7 on the season with an active eight-match win streak. In Gulf Shores, the twin sisters improved to 11-1 and have won nine straight matches at Gulf Beach Place.
At the No. 5 position, freshman Madison Goellner and sophomore Mabyn Thomas got a 21-16 win over Madi Nichols and Abbey Reinard in the first set, but split sets with a 21-19 loss in set two. At the No. 2 position, graduate Maddi Kriz and sophomore Madison White split sets with Piper Ferch and Erin Inskeep and trailed the Mustangs in the third set, 21-19, 18-21, 10-13, when play was halted.
USC’s win sets up a seventh meeting with crosstown rival UCLA in the championship dual. The teams split six regular-season and Pac-12 tournament meetings evenly. The Trojans and Bruins will clash in Gulf Shores for the sixth time and be shown on a…
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