Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 15, 2023
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The No. 2-ranked USC beach volleyball team (24-1) defeated No. 11 Long Beach State (19-14) by a 3-2 count to win its pool at the Center of Effort Challenge at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex on Saturday, April 15.
The victory is USC’s 14th in a row, which now ranks alone for fifth-longest in school history. The Women of Troy have also won 14 straight over LBSU and improve to 15-5 all-time against the Beach. The Trojans go to 11-0 in duals played in San Luis Obispo.
Long Beach State scored the first dual point of the day with a win at the No. 5 position where Emily Mattoon and Mari Molina defeated senior Harper Hallgrenand freshman Klaire VanDeusen, 21-15, 21-6.
The Trojans pulled even on a win at the top spot where juniors Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple took down Sydney Stevens and Julia Westby, 21-14, 21-10, for their eighth win in a row, and to improve to 18-1 on the season.
USC went in front moments later with a win at the No. 3 position when graduate Madison Shields and freshman Madison White upended Christine DeRoos and Megan Widener, 21-9, 21-19, for their 14th win a row. Shields-White is now 18-5 on the season.
The clinching point came from the No. 4 position when junior Olivia Bakos and freshman Gabby Walker went 21-19, 21-17 for a win over Natalie Glenn and Maggie Walters to improve to 10-3 on the season.
In the only match to go three sets, Long Beach State earned the last point of the dual to make the final score, 3-2. There, Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah defeated the Trojans’ twin senior pair of Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse, 25-23, 20-22, 15-11, to end the duos’ 12-match win streak.
USC’s three wins earns the Trojans a berth into the first-place dual set for 5:45 p.m. PT. The Women of Troy will face crosstown rival UCLA (29-2), which won its pool with victories over Cal Poly, Pepperdine, and TCU.
For more information on the USC beach volleyball team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/beach. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCBeach.
No. 2 USC def. No. 11 Long Beach State, 3-2
Center of Effort Challenge
Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex · San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Saturday, April 15,…
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