Saturday, April 27
Los Angeles, Calif.
1:30 PM
USC
3
vs
2
UCLA
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
Photo by: John McGillen
USC Wins Third Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship
April 27, 2019 | Women's Beach Volleyball, Features
The Women of Troy took down top-seeded UCLA to claim the program’s third league crown
LOS ANGELES – The second-seeded USC beach volleyball team (28-4) put a 3-2 win over top-seeded UCLA (31-3) into the books on Saturday, April 27, at Merle Norman Stadium to cement the program's third Pac-12 championship. The Women of Troy also won league titles in 2016 and 2017 and ran their winning streak to 12 straight duals with their third straight victory over the Bruins.
USC improved to 12-8 all-time against crosstown rival UCLA and secured an 11-1 record on home sand in 2019. The Trojans also improved to 15-3 in Pac-12 tournament matches; 8-0 when those matches are played on home sand.
With the dual tied at two-all, senior Terese Cannon and sophomore Sammy Slater completed an incredible comeback to defeat Lily Justine and Sarah Sponcil at the No. 2 position in three sets.
The only match to go three frames, Justine and Sponcil won the first, 21-18, despite a fast start by the Trojan duo. Cannon-Slater had a response in the second and stayed in control the entire way. The Bruins grabbed early leads in the third, and reached 10 first with a 10-8 lead. Cannon and Slater remained calm and reeled off a 7-2 run to deliver the clinching point for the Women of Troy.
In straight-set matches, UCLA went ahead, 2-0, in the dual with wins at the fourth and fifth positions. The first point went on the board when Izzy Carey and Lindsey Sparks defeated USC's pair of junior Cammie Dorn and freshman Mollie Ebertin, 21-15, 21-18. In an all-stops-pulled contest, Lea Monkhouse and Savvy Simo fought back from trailing all set to defeat junior Joy Dennis and sophomore Maja Kaiser, 23-21, 26-24, at the No. 4 spot.
With all three of the top courts in simultaneous action, the Trojans got on the board when sophomore Haley Hallgren and senior Alexandra Poletto went 21-16, 21-18 over Zana Muno and Abby Van Winkle at the No. 3 spot. It was the 10th straight win for the pair, which improved to 38-7 all-time as a team; 28-2 in 2019.
Moments later, USC posted the tying point when senior Abril Bustamante and sophomore Tina Graudina knocked off Megan and Nicole McNamara, 21-18, 21-17, at the top court. The USC tandem ran its streak to 12 straight wins and improved to 61-4 all-time.
USC's pairs of Bustamante and Graudina, and Cannon and Slater were each chosen to a six-pair all-tournament team.
Pac-12 teams now await NCAA selections into the eight-team national tournament. The field will be announced on Sunday, April 28, at 4 p.m. PT on NCAA.com. The 2019 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship will be played at Gulf Shores Public Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., next weekend, May 3-5.
For more information on the three-time national champion USC beach volleyball team and a complete schedule, please visit USCTrojans.com and follow @USCBeach on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
[2] No. 2 USC def. [1] No. 1 UCLA, 3-2
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
Pac-12 Championship • Championship Dual
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Records: USC (28-4), UCLA (31-3)
1. Abril Bustamante/Tina Graudina (USC) def. Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (UCLA); 21-18, 21-17
2. Terese Cannon/Sammy Slater (USC) def. Lily Justine/Sarah Sponcil (UCLA); 18-21, 21-16, 15-12
3. Haley Hallgren/Alexandra Poletto (USC) def. Zana Muno/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA); 21-16, 21-18
4. Lea Monkhouse/Savvy Simo (UCLA) def. Joy Dennis/Maja Kaiser (USC); 23-21, 26-24
5. Izzy Carey/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) def. Cammie Dorn/Mollie Ebertin (USC); 21-15, 21-18
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 2*
USC improved to 12-8 all-time against crosstown rival UCLA and secured an 11-1 record on home sand in 2019. The Trojans also improved to 15-3 in Pac-12 tournament matches; 8-0 when those matches are played on home sand.
With the dual tied at two-all, senior Terese Cannon and sophomore Sammy Slater completed an incredible comeback to defeat Lily Justine and Sarah Sponcil at the No. 2 position in three sets.
The only match to go three frames, Justine and Sponcil won the first, 21-18, despite a fast start by the Trojan duo. Cannon-Slater had a response in the second and stayed in control the entire way. The Bruins grabbed early leads in the third, and reached 10 first with a 10-8 lead. Cannon and Slater remained calm and reeled off a 7-2 run to deliver the clinching point for the Women of Troy.
In straight-set matches, UCLA went ahead, 2-0, in the dual with wins at the fourth and fifth positions. The first point went on the board when Izzy Carey and Lindsey Sparks defeated USC's pair of junior Cammie Dorn and freshman Mollie Ebertin, 21-15, 21-18. In an all-stops-pulled contest, Lea Monkhouse and Savvy Simo fought back from trailing all set to defeat junior Joy Dennis and sophomore Maja Kaiser, 23-21, 26-24, at the No. 4 spot.
With all three of the top courts in simultaneous action, the Trojans got on the board when sophomore Haley Hallgren and senior Alexandra Poletto went 21-16, 21-18 over Zana Muno and Abby Van Winkle at the No. 3 spot. It was the 10th straight win for the pair, which improved to 38-7 all-time as a team; 28-2 in 2019.
Moments later, USC posted the tying point when senior Abril Bustamante and sophomore Tina Graudina knocked off Megan and Nicole McNamara, 21-18, 21-17, at the top court. The USC tandem ran its streak to 12 straight wins and improved to 61-4 all-time.
USC's pairs of Bustamante and Graudina, and Cannon and Slater were each chosen to a six-pair all-tournament team.
Pac-12 teams now await NCAA selections into the eight-team national tournament. The field will be announced on Sunday, April 28, at 4 p.m. PT on NCAA.com. The 2019 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship will be played at Gulf Shores Public Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala., next weekend, May 3-5.
For more information on the three-time national champion USC beach volleyball team and a complete schedule, please visit USCTrojans.com and follow @USCBeach on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
[2] No. 2 USC def. [1] No. 1 UCLA, 3-2
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
Pac-12 Championship • Championship Dual
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Records: USC (28-4), UCLA (31-3)
1. Abril Bustamante/Tina Graudina (USC) def. Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (UCLA); 21-18, 21-17
2. Terese Cannon/Sammy Slater (USC) def. Lily Justine/Sarah Sponcil (UCLA); 18-21, 21-16, 15-12
3. Haley Hallgren/Alexandra Poletto (USC) def. Zana Muno/Abby Van Winkle (UCLA); 21-16, 21-18
4. Lea Monkhouse/Savvy Simo (UCLA) def. Joy Dennis/Maja Kaiser (USC); 23-21, 26-24
5. Izzy Carey/Lindsey Sparks (UCLA) def. Cammie Dorn/Mollie Ebertin (USC); 21-15, 21-18
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 2*
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