NCAA beach volleyball: USC caps weekend by beating UCLA; TCU, LSU stay unbeaten
This is a recap of a busy beach weekend, proof that the best NCAA volleyball teams are not afraid to schedule tough in the early season.
Most notably, fourth-ranked but two-time defending NCAA champion USC laid down the gauntlet by improving to 6-0 with a weekend-ending, 3-2 victory over No. 1 UCLA. It capped a weekend in which USC went 4-0 with 3-2 victories over No. 12 Cal and No. 7 Stanford and a 4-1 win over No. 16 Washington.
UCLA, which had won its first nine matches this young season, went 3-0 at home in the Pac-12 South Invitational, sweeping Oregon and Arizona State on Saturday before doing the same to Utah. Sunday the Bruins moved to USC.
From USC:
The Women of Troy have now won 42 consecutive duals dating back one year to March 5, 2022. The Trojans also improved to 78-11 all-time at Merle Norman Stadium and have won 13 straight home duals. USC goes to 22-14 all-time in duals against the Bruins and has won six straight over its crosstown rival.
UCLA took the first two points of the dual with wins at the Nos. 2 and 4 positions. On four, Olivia Bakos and Bailey Showalter went the distance but fell, 15-13, in the third to former Trojan Haley Hallgren and partner Rileigh Powers.
The comeback began at the top court where juniors Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple completed a 23-21, 21-18 win over Lexy Denaburg and Abby Van Winkle to improve to 6-0 on the season. Moments later, freshmen Delaney Karl and Gabby Walker evened the dual on their 21-18, 11-21, 15-10 win over Marlie Monserez and Jaden Whitmarsh at the No. 5 position.
Down to the third court, USC twin seniors Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse dropped the first set to Peri Brennan and Tessa Van Winkle, 21-15, but fought tooth and nail to take the second, 24-22. The third was tied 15 times but the sisters found themselves on the winning end of a 17-15 finish the take down the previously unbeaten Bruins.
TCU is 8-0 after the No. 3 Horned Frogs finished their weekend trip to Tampa by beating second-ranked Florida State before sweeping Tampa. On Saturday, TCU swept No. 10 Georgia State and FGCU.
Four Horned Frogs went 4-0: Daniela Alvarez, Maria Gonzalez, Hailey Hamlett and Tania Moreno. FSU on Saturday beat No. 6 Grand Canyon 4-1 and swept No. 11 Stetson. Later Sunday, the Seminoles beat FGCU 3-2 and Tampa 4-1.
Fifth-ranked LSU improved to 9-0 with weekend victories over UAB, Tusculum, No. 19 South Carolina, North Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana. All were sweeps except for a 4-1 win over South Carolina.
GCU is 6-2. The Lopes’ trip to Tampa saw them beat Georgia State, Tampa and Stetson.
No. 7 Stanford (9-3) won its other three matches, getting past Washington and Arizona State by 3-2 outcomes before sweeping Utah.
Eighth-ranked Loyola Marymount is 4-0 after winning twice Saturday in Malibu. The Lions beat Houston Christian and Concordia Irvine.
No. 9 Hawai’i is 7-3 after going 4-0 at the Best in the West in Laguna Beach. The Sandbows beat Cal Poly and No. 14 Long Beach State twice each.
Georgia State is 6-2 after splitting its four matches. The Panthers had that loss to GCU, beat Stetson, lost to TCU and finished with a win over FGCU.
Among the matchups next weekend, the Battle for Los Angeles includes USC, UCLA, Long Beach State, GCU, CUI, Stanford and Cal Poly; and at TCU the gathering includes LSU and Southern Miss. Hawai’i is home for Texas, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington and Cal.
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