Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 05, 2024
SEATTLE – The No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (23-3) collected a pair of 4-1 wins over No. 2 Stanford (18-3) and No. 12 Arizona State (16-5) to open play at the Pac-12 North Invitational at Alki Beach Park on Friday, April 5. It was the third straight win for the Women of Troy who also racked up their seventh victory of the season over an opponent ranked in the AVCA top five.
The Trojans improved to 16-0 all-time against Arizona State and avenged one of their three losses to go to 14-1 all-time against the Cardinal. USC—playing in Washington for the first time since 2018—also improved to 5-1 all-time in the Evergreen State.
The clinching blow in both duals came from the No. 5 position where graduate Ainsley Radell and sophomore Mabyn Thomas posted back-to-back straight-set wins to extend their streak to 10 matches. The duo defeated ASU’s Ava Haughy and Adriana Nieves Papaleo, 21-19, 21-19, and then got a 21-18, 21-18 win over Stanford’s Maya Harvey and Ashley Vincent to improve to 11-1 on the season. Radell inched ever closer to picking up her 100th-career win and now stands at 98 all-time individual victories. Thomas has been on a tear this season and improved to 16-1 on the season with a 21-5 career mark.
At the top court, All-American seniors Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple went 4-0 in sets to beat Danielle Kensinger and Ava Williamson of Arizona State, 21-12, 21-16; and Xolani Hodel and Brooke Rockwell of Stanford, 21-12, 21-15. The duo improved to 25-1 on the season and won their 20th consecutive match to mark only the ninth time a Trojan pair has put together a streak of 20 or more wins in a row.
Freshman Ashley Pater and sophomore Madison White became the fifth USC pair to break the double-digit wins barrier this season and improved to 11-1 win a 21-12, 21-6 win over Arizona State’s Ava Kirunchyk and Lillie Seymour; and a three-set win, 17-21, 21-18, 15-12, over Stanford’s Kate Reilly and Clara Stowell.
On two, the Trojans’ graduate duo of Maddi Kriz and Grace Seits fell to ASU’s Arden Besecker and Anya Pemberton in three sets, 21-19, 14-21, 15-11, but bounced back to get a three-set win over Stanford’s Ruby Sorra and Taylor Wilson, 13-21, 21-16, 15-12. USC also split matches at the No. 3 position…
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