USC Beach Volleyball Sets Sights on Fifth Pac-12 Crown This Week

Women’s Beach Volleyball | April 25, 2023

STANFORD, Calif. – The defending Pac-12 Conference champion No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (26-3) seeks its fifth Pac-12 crown this week as the No. 2 seed in the annual tournament. The Women of Troy get started with a winner’s bracket quarterfinal dual against seventh-seeded Arizona (19-10), which they beat at Stanford’s Beach Volleyball Stadium three weeks ago (April 8) in the Pac-12 North Invitational. The Trojans and Wildcats will meet at 10:15 a.m. PT on Wednesday (April 26). Should USC advance to the winner’s semifinal, it will face the winner of a quarterfinal between third-seeded California (25-8) and sixth-seeded Arizona State (11-11). The Women of Troy own four of the six all-time Pac-12 championships (2016, ’17, ’19, ’22) and were also the No. 2 seed in 2018 and 2019 but have held the top seed in every other tournament. The Trojans are 16-2 all-time on The Farm and their next win will be the 100th-career victory for fourth-year head coach Dain Blanton (99-13).

THIS WEEK

2023 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP

Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium • Stanford, Calif.

LIVE TV/STREAM: Pac-12 Networks

MATCH #30 • Wednesday, April 26 • 10:15 a.m. PT

[2] No. 3 USC (26-3) vs. [7] No. 20 Arizona (19-10)

Pac-12 Championship • Winner’s Bracket Quarterfinal

TOURNAMENT WEBSITE: Pac-12.com

SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 11-0 (1.000)

STREAK: Won 11 • LAST 10: 10-0

LAST MEETING: W 4-1 (Apr. 8, 2023 • Stanford, Calif.)

OPPONENT WEBSITE: ArizonaWildcats.com

BARE E-SAND-SHELLS • TL;DR

• USC is the back-to-back defending NCAA champion and owns five national titles including the first NCAA crown in 2016 (AVCA ’15, NCAA ’17, ’21, ’22).
• USC has also won four Pac-12 championships (2016, ’17, ’19, ’22).
• The Trojans are 22-5 all-time in Pac-12 Championship tournament matches. USC won the title as the second seed in 2019.
• USC is 99-13 (.884) under fourth-year head coach Dain Blanton.
• The Trojans are ranked No. 3 in the AVCA and CBVB polls. It is the 98th time (of 98) USC is ranked by the AVCA; its 97th time in the top 5. The Trojans have also been ranked No. 1 a record 41…