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No. 3 USC Beach Volleyball Scores Two 5-0 Sweeps to Remain Undefeated

by usctrojans.com
Mar 4, 2021

LOS ANGELES – The No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (4-0) defeated No. 6 Cal Poly (3-3) and No. 4 UCLA (3-1) in a pair of 5-0 sweeps at Merle Norman Stadium on Thursday, March 4.
 
The Women of Troy met the Mustangs for only the fourth time but stayed undefeated against Cal Poly despite dropping first sets at both the fourth and fifth positions. At No. 4, senior Joy Dennis and freshman Delaynie Maple fought back to get a 23-21 win over Vanessa Roscoe and Josie Ulrich in the second set and then sealed the win with a 15-7 victory in the third. Dennis-Maple then went three with Lea Monkhouse and Cami Sanchez before completing a 19-21, 21-16, 15-10 win over the Bruin tandem.
 
Twin sophomores Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse did the same with a 19-21, 21-18, 15-10 win over the Mustangs' Piper Naess and Sam Strah. The twin duo went quickly in the second dual to get a 21-16, 21-18 win over Rileigh Powers and Jaden Whitmarsh to extend their winning streak to 12 straight matches.
 
At court two, graduate transfers Hailey Harward and Julia Scoles still have not dropped a set through four duals and came away with a 21-14, 21-11 win over Jayelin Lombard and Amy Ozee of Cal Poly and a 21-11, 21-14 victory against UCLA's Devon Newberry and Lindsey Sparks. On three, senior Haley Hallgren and freshman Megan Kraft stayed together for both duals and got a 21-12, 21-11 win over Cal Poly's Eleonore Johansen and Tia Miric; and a 21-10, 21-17 win over UCLA's Megan Muret and Jacqueline Quade.
 
The Trojans' top pair of All-American senior Sammy Slater and All-American junior Tina Graudina produced a straight-set win over Macy Gordon and Emily Sonny of Cal Poly, 21-10, 21-17; and completed the day with a three-set win, 21-11, 22-24, 15-10, against Lexy Denaberg and Savvy Simo of UCLA to lock up the second sweep.
 
USC logged its 100th and 101st 5-0 victories all-time and are 31-0 in 5-0 results at home. It is also the Trojans' first string of three 5-0 wins since it had three from March 2-3, 2019, in victories over Arizona, Stanford, and Oregon.
 
The Women of Troy play their first matches away from home this Sunday (March 7) when they head to Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif., for the Pepperdine Invite to take on No, 17 Long Beach State (1-1) at noon PT and No. 9 Pepperdine (0-2) at 2 p.m.
 
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.
 
NOTES

  • USC improved to 61-9 all-time at Merle Norman Stadium.
  • The Trojans improved to 4-0 in matches against Cal Poly and to 13-11 against UCLA.
  • USC snapped a three-match losing streak to the Bruins and earned their first 5-0 sweep over their crosstown rival since March 6, 2016. It was UCLA's first 5-0 loss since it suffered that fate at Hawai'i on Feb. 24, 2018.
  • The Women of Troy produced their 101st 5-0 victory and are 101-2 all-time in 5-0 finishes, including a perfect 31-0 mark at home. 

No. 3 USC def. No. 6 Cal Poly, 5-0
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
RECORDS: USC (3-0), Cal Poly (3-3)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Macy GORDON/Emily SONNY (CP); 21-10, 21-17
2. Hailey HARWARD/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Jayelin LOMBARD/Amy OZEE (CP); 21-14, 21-11
3. Haley HALLGREN/Megan KRAFT (USC) def. Eleonore JOHANSEN/Tia MIRIC (CP); 21-12, 21-11
4. Joy DENNIS/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Vanessa ROSCOE/Josie ULRICH (CP); 16-21, 23-21, 15-7
5. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Piper NAESS/Sam STRAH (CP); 19-21, 21-18, 15-10
Exh. Paige DREEUWS/Mollie EBERTIN (USC) vs. Kalee GRAFF/Delaney PERANICH (CP); 22-20, 21-15
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3*, 2, 1
 
No. 3 USC def. No. 4 UCLA, 5-0
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
RECORDS: USC (4-0), UCLA (3-1)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Lexy DENABERG/Savvy SIMO (UCLA); 21-11, 22-24, 15-10
2. Hailey HARWARD/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Devon NEWBERRY/Lindsey SPARKS (UCLA); 21-11, 21-14
3. Haley HALLGREN/Megan KRAFT (USC) def. Megan MURET/Jacqueline QUADE (UCLA); 21-10, 21-17
4. Joy DENNIS/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Lea MONKHOUSE/Cami SANCHEZ (UCLA); 19-21, 21-16, 15-10
5. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Rileigh POWERS/Jaden WHITMARSH (UCLA); 21-16, 21-18
Exh. Harper HALLGREN/Maja KAISER (USC) vs. Hannah PHAIR/Maggie WALTERS (UCLA); 21-19, 9-21
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3*, 2, 1
 

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