Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 18, 2023
LOS ANGELES – The No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (25-2) collected a 5-0 win over CSU Bakersfield (16-8) to cap off a perfect 11-0 season on home sand at Merle Norman Stadium on Tuesday, April 18. The Women of Troy celebrated Senior Day and the collegiate careers of graduates Jenna Johnson, Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope, and Madison Shields, senior Harper Hallgren, and junior Caitlin Cummings in post-match ceremonies on center sand.
The Trojans improved to 10-0 in meetings with the Runners and went undefeated at Merle Norman Stadium for the fifth time in program history. USC goes to 83-11 all-time in its home stadium and now has an active 18-dual win streak, one victory from matching the longest home win streak of 19 (2014-16).
The Trojans scored the first point of the dual on a win by twin seniors Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse when they defeated Emma Erteltova and Sophia Hladyniuk in straight sets, 21-10, 21-14, to improve to 21-5 and to 83-15 all-time. They are now just eight wins from matching the second-highest total for wins by a pair in program history (91 by Nicolette Martin and Allie Wheeler, 2014-16).
USC went on top, 2-0, on a win at the No. 4 position where junior Olivia Bakos and freshman Bailey Showalter went 21-15, 21-8 to take down Emma Bubelis and Alanna Shields. Juniors Megan Kraft and Delyanie Maple delivered the clinching point from the top court with a 21-10, 21-11 win over Sophia Brandstetter and Hana Makanova; and extended their win streak to 10 matches as the duo reached 20 wins this season (20-1 overall).
At the No. 5 position, graduates Jenna Johnson and Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope posted a 21-12, 21-8 win over Megan Gilbert and Pearl Moore to make the score 4-0 for the Trojans. The sweep went into the books with a win by newly-paired freshmen Gabby Walker and Madison White at the No. 3 spot. The frosh took out Isabella Almeida and Hayley McCluskey in straight sets, 21-17, 21-18.
The Trojans head to Mapes Beach in Westwood for their final two regular-season duals on Thursday (April 20). USC seeks revenge against rival and No. 1-ranked UCLA (30-2) in a noon PT dual. The Trojans will then close with fifth-ranked Loyola Marymount (23-6) at 2 p.m. PT. Both duals will be shown live by the Pac-12…
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