Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 26, 2024
TEMPE, Ariz. – The top-seeded USC beach volleyball team (33-5) emerged from the contender’s bracket with a 3-1 win over No. 3 Stanford (31-5) and a 3-0 victory over second-seeded UCLA (32-6) to claim its fifth Pac-12 Championship at the Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility on Friday, April 26. With the league crown, the Trojans also earn the Pac-12’s automatic berth into next week’s NCAA Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala. (May 3-5).
The Women of Troy collected the program’s fifth Pac-12 title (2016, ’17, ’19, ’22) and the second under fifth-year head coach Dain Blanton. USC goes to 28-8 in duals at the Pac-12 Championship with a 12-2 mark in the state of Arizona. The Trojans also improved to 40-2 all-time in the Copper State and rose to 151-18 in duals when they are ranked No. 1.
Against the Cardinal, USC improved to 15-1 all-time and have won two subsequent meetings since falling to Stanford in Hawai’i on the first day of the spring season. The Trojans improved to 26-20 all-time against crosstown rival UCLA and evened the season series with the Bruins at three matches apiece. The dual with the Bruins was the 33rd time that USC has played in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 dual. In those, the Trojans go to 18-15 all-time. Against UCLA specifically, USC is now 7-7 in duals played in the Pac-12 Championship and 10-9 in all postseason meetings.
Following the conclusion of the championship tournament, the Trojans’ top pair of All-American seniors Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple were named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. The duo was 3-1 on the week and improved to 33-4 this season and to 61-7 all-time. The duo delivered the clinching point in the Trojans’ 3-1 victory over Stanford when they defeated Xolani Hodel and Brooke Rockwell, 21-17, 17-21, 15-13. The had also split sets with UCLA’s Maggie Boyd and Lexy Denaburg when play was stopped.
Twin graduates Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse were also named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. The sisters were 4-0 in the tournament and scored the leadoff dual point against the Cardinal, 21-19, 19-21, 15-11, over Kelly Belardi and Chloe Hoffman; and overpowered Kenzie Brower and Jessie Smith, 21-13, 21-11, to put the Trojans on the board against the Bruins. The Nourse sisters improved to 29-7 on the season…
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