Three USC Beach Volleyball Freshmen Earn AVCA Junior All-America Laurels

Women’s Beach Volleyball | September 08, 2023

LOS ANGELES – USC beach volleyball freshmen Madison Goellner (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall HS), Grace Hong (Newport Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS), and Ashley Pater (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS) join the Women of Troy as AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Junior All-Americans.
 
Goellner, a first-team choice, and Hong, a second-team selection, were each honored as members of the 2023 Junior All-America teams. Pater, was named to the 2022 All-America second team but deferred her admission to USC for a year. Trojan sophomores Gabby Walker (first team), Delaney Karl (second team), Bailey Showalter (second team), Klaire VanDeusen (honorable mention) and Mabyn Thomas (honorable mention) were each also honored in 2022.
 
Goellner—a 6-2 outside hitter in high school—helped her team win three regional titles (2020-22) and registered a career-high of 32 kills in a single match. She played for the Madsand beach volleyball club for four years and took home her first gold medal as winner of the 2019 U14 AVP national championship. Goellner also helped her club win the 2022 BVCA championship and has been part of the USAV National Development Training Program for two years (2021-23).
 
Hong played both indoor and beach volleyball and served as a captain at Mater Dei. She played for the Spiker Beach Volleyball Club and helped the Spiker Black squad to a first-place finish in the 2023 OC Event. Hong has also helped her teams to a first-place finish at the 2021 AAU Grand Prix and to second-place finishes at the 2023 AAU national championship and 2021 CBVA Cal Cup.
 
Pater served as captain of her high school team and earned MVP and all-state laurels while at Lakewood Ranch High School. She is a two-time member of the USAV Beach U19 National Team and was on the U17 squad in 2017. Pater has 13 first-place finishes in major tournaments and has reached the main draw of five AVP Pro Tour events. She was the 2022 AAU Junior Olympics National Champion and took second at the 2022 U19 World Championship in Turkey with Team USA.
 
Under fourth-year head coach Dain Blanton, the USC beach volleyball team captured its third…