No. 2 USC Beach Volleyball Hits Central Coast for Center of Effort Challenge

Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 10, 2024

LOS ANGELES – The No. 2-ranked USC beach volleyball team (24-3) makes its final regular-season road trip to take on Pepperdine (15-10), No. 7 Long Beach State (21-5), and No. 5 TCU (23-5) at the Center of Effort Challenge hosted by Cal Poly at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex in San Luis Obispo, Calif., this weekend (April 12-13). The Women of Troy will also play in a final dual on Saturday afternoon (April 13) with time and opponent dependent on the results of their pool-play matches with the Waves, The Beach, and the Frogs. The Trojans have won four straight duals and have just six regular-season contests left on the schedule before the Pac-12 Championship tournament takes place in Tempe, Ariz., April 24-26. USC owns 19 wins over ranked opponents with 10 against foes in the top 10 and seven over opponents ranked in the AVCA’s top five.

THIS WEEK

CENTER OF EFFORT CHALLENGE

Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex • San Luis Obispo, Calif.

MATCH #28 • Friday, April 12 • 10 a.m. PT

No. 2 USC (24-3) vs. Pepperdine (15-10)

SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 19-13 (.594)

STREAK: Won 7 • LAST 10: 9-1

LAST MEETING: W 4-1 (March 21, 2021 • Malibu, Calif.)

OPPONENT WEBSITE: PepperdineWaves.com

MATCH #29 • Friday, April 12 • 3 p.m. PT

No. 2 USC (24-3) vs. No. 7 Long Beach State (21-5)

SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 16-5 (.762)

STREAK: Won 15 • LAST 10: 10-0

LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (March 1, 2024 • MNS)

OPPONENT WEBSITE: LongBeachState.com

MATCH #30 • Saturday, April 13 • 9 a.m. PT

No. 2 USC (24-3) vs. No. 5 TCU (23-5)

SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 8-1 (.889)

STREAK: Won 3 • LAST 10: 8-1

LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (April 29, 2024 • Baton Rouge, La.)

OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoFrogs.com

BARE E-SAND-SHELLS • TL;DR

• USC has won the last three NCAA championships and owns six national titles including the first NCAA crown awarded in 2016 (AVCA ’15, NCAA ’17, ’21, ’22, ’23).
• The Trojans have won four Pac-12 championships (2016, ’17, ’19, ’22).
• USC is 129-18 (.878) under fifth-year head coach Dain Blanton.
• The Trojans are ranked No. 2 in the AVCA poll (No. 2, CBVB). It is the 108th time (of 108) USC is ranked by the AVCA; its 107th time among the top 5. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 spot a record 46 times.
• USC is 11-1 all-time in San Luis…