Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 06, 2024
SEATTLE – The No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (24-3) defeated No. 7 California (16-9) by a 3-2 count to conclude play at the Pac-12 North Invitational at Alki Beach Park on Saturday, April 6. It was the Trojans’ fourth straight win as they picked up their 10th victory over a top-10 opponent and the team’s 19th against a ranked foe overall.
The Women of Troy improved to 12-3 all-time against the Golden Bears and avenged a 3-2 loss to California in the 2023 Pac-12 Championship semifinals. USC—playing in Washington for the first time since 2018—also improved to 6-1 all-time in the Evergreen State.
USC produced three dual points to clinch the dual before Cal scored twice. At the No. 4 position, freshman Ashley Pater and sophomore Madison White improved to 12-1 overall with a 21-14, 25-23 win over Lara Boos and Jenna Colligan for the Trojans’ first point.
The Women of Troy went on top, 2-0, when graduates Maddi Kriz and Grace Seits wrapped up a 21-14, 21-17 win over Emma Donley and Gia Fisher at court two. The Kriz-Seits tandem is now 19-4 on the season and Kriz is 95-52 in her career; five wins from the century mark.
The clinching point came from the No. 3 position where twin graduates Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse posted a 21-17, 21-18 win over Marilu Pally and Kendall Peters to improve to 20-6 on the season and become the second Trojan pair to reach 20 wins.
With the dual already decided in three straight-set results, California scored its first point from the No. 5 position when Ella Dreibholz and Portia Sherman defeated graduate Ainsley Radell and sophomore Mabyn Thomas, 21-9, 21-18, to end a 10-match win streak by the USC duo. At the top court, in the only match to go three sets, All-American seniors Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple had a 20-match win streak halted in a loss to Sierra Caffo and Alexandria Young-Gomez, 13-21, 21-16, 15-12.
In a non-scoring exhibition match, senior Olivia Bakos and sophomore Gabby Walker teamed to split sets with Alex Adishian and Amelia Vugrincic, 18-21, 21-18.
USC takes its last of six regular-season road trips when the Trojans head to San Luis Obispo for the Center of Effort Challenge hosted by Cal Poly next weekend, April 12-13, at the Swanson Beach…
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