Women’s Beach Volleyball | May 05, 2024
GULF SHORES, Ala. – The top-seeded and No. 1-ranked USC beach volleyball team (37-5) defeated second-seeded No. 2 UCLA (35-7) by a 3-0 count to win the 2024 NCAA championship at Gulf Beach Place on Sunday, May 5.
The championship is an unprecedented fourth-straight for a USC women’s team and marks the first time a Trojan team of either gender has won four consecutive national titles since the men’s water polo team won six consecutive titles from 2008-13.
USC brings home the 38th national championship won by a women’s team; the 28th NCAA title for the Women of Troy. It is also the 136th national title won by a USC team and the 113th NCAA championship all-time.
The Trojans won this championship without dropping a single match (12-0) and improved to 97-32 across all courts of play at the NCAA championship. USC improved to 31-4 in NCAA tournament duals and is now 155-18 in duals when they are ranked No. 1 in the AVCA coaches’ poll. The Trojans also rise to 38-8 in the state of Alabama.
Three Trojan pairs were chosen to the all-tournament team for the second time in program history (2017) led by senior All-Americans Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple at the No. 1 position. Graduate twins Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse were named to the team for the third time in their careers and did so from the No. 3 position. USC’s freshman-graduate duo of Ashley Pater and Grace Seits were chosen to the team from the No. 4 position.
Just like they did in 2023, Nourse and Nourse delivered the clinching blow from the No. 3 position with a three-set win over Kenzie Brower and Jessie Smith, 22-20, 15-21, 15-11. The victory made the twins 32-7 to conclude the season on a nine-match win streak. In Gulf Shores, the sisters finish 12-1 with a 10-match win streak at Gulf Beach Place. The Trojan pair completes their careers at 123-23 all-time. Nicole’s 127-career victories ranks sixth all-time in USC history and Audrey’s 124 wins ranks tied for ninth in program history.
In a two-flight championship dual format, the Trojans claimed the first point from the No. 2 position when graduate Maddi Kriz and sophomore Madison White fought through a three-set match with Peri Brennan and Devon Newberry to take a 14-21, 21-19, 15-13 win. Kriz and White finished…
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