No. 3 USC Beach Volleyball Keeps Rolling with Two Wins at Pepperdine Invite

MALIBU, Calif. – The third-ranked USC beach volleyball team (6-0) picked up two more top-20 victories on Sunday, March 7, with a 5-0 sweep of No. 17 Long Beach State (2-4) and a 4-1 win over No. 9 Pepperdine (1-3) at the Pepperdine Invite.
 
The Women of Troy improved to 18-13 all-time against Pepperdine and beat the Waves on the road for only the third time in nine meetings. USC's streak against longtime rival Pepperdine goes to six straight wins. The Trojans improved to 9-5 against LBSU and have now won eight straight over Beach. USC also improved to 13-7 all-time in Malibu.
 
Three Trojan pairs remain undefeated through six duals led by USC's graduate tandem of Hailey Harward and Julia Scoles at the No. 2 position. The pair earned a 21-15, 21-16 win over Long Beach State's Katie Kennedy and Nicci Reinking; and then took down Alexis Filippone and Sutton Mactavish of Pepperdine, 21-11, 21-13. Harward-Scoles has not dropped a set this season and is now 6-0.
 
At the top court, junior Tina Graudina and senior Sammy Slater delivered two victories to improve to 6-0. They beat Mari Molina and Tyler Spriggs of LBSU, 21-12, 21-15; and then needed three sets but defeated Brook Bauer and Carly Skjodt of Pepperdine 21-17, 19-21, 15-7.
 
USC's twin sophomores Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse extended their winning streak to 14 straight and hammered home the clinching point in both of today's victories. They beat Emily Mattoon and Jillian Rodriguez, 21-17, 21-10, to seal USC's win over Long Beach State and clinched the win over Pepperdine on a 21-17, 21-13 win over Jordan Benoit and Kristine Briede.
 
At the No. 4 position, graduate Joy Dennis and freshman Delaynie Maple scored two wins. They needed three sets to dispatch of Beach's Skyler Germann and Alice Pratesi, 21-15, 13-21, 15-12; but came out to get a 21-13, 21-14 win over Pepperdine's Mary Sinclair and Calista Wright. Dennis and Maple improved to 4-1 on the season.
 
At No. 3, senior Haley Hallgren and freshman Megan Kraft took a 21-15, 21-16 win against Long Beach State's Makenzie Griffin and Kenzie Holtz, but fell in three sets to Pepperdine's Melanie Paul and Simone Priebe, 21-16, 14-21, 15-13. Hallgren-Kraft are 4-1 together this season.
 
USC is back in action on Saturday, March 13, when it hosts Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount for a three-dual day at Merle Norman Stadium. Beach and the Lions meet first at 10 a.m. PT, followed by the Trojans and LBSU at 12:15 p.m. USC and LMU will wrap the day's action with a dual set to begin at 2:30 p.m.
 
NOTE: All home USC beach volleyball competitions at Merle Norman Stadium will be conducted in accordance with the Pac-12 COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee health and safety recommendations and guidelines, available at Pac-12.com/health.

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.
 
No. 3 USC def. No. 17 Long Beach State, 5-0
2021 Pepperdine Invite
Zuma Beach • Malibu, Calif.
Sunday, March 7, 2021
RECORDS: USC (5-0), Long Beach State (2-4)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Mari MOLINA/Tyler SPRIGGS (LBSU); 21-12, 21-15
2. Hailey HARWARD/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Katie KENNEDY/Nicci REINKING (LBSU); 21-15, 21-16
3. Haley HALLGREN/Megan KRAFT (USC) def. Makenzie GRIFFIN/Kenzie HOLTZ (LBSU); 21-15, 21-16
4. Joy DENNIS/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Skyler GERMANN/Alice PRATESI (LBSU); 21-15, 13-21, 15-12
5. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Emily MATTOON/Jillian RODRIGUEZ (LBSU); 21-17, 21-10
Exh. Olivia BAKOS/Mollie EBERTIN (USC) def. Sophie MAJOR/Claire NEWLANDER (LBSU); 21-15, 21-18
Order of finish: 2, 4, 5*, 1, 3
 
No. 3 USC def. No. 9 Pepperdine, 4-1
2021 Pepperdine Invite
Zuma Beach • Malibu, Calif.
Sunday, March 7, 2021
RECORDS: USC (6-0), Pepperdine (1-3)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Brook BAUER/Carly SKJODT (PEPP); 21-17, 19-21, 15-7
2. Hailey HARWARD/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Alexis FILIPPONE/Sutton MACTAVISH (PEPP); 21-11, 21-13
3. Melanie PAUL/Simone PRIEBE (PEPP)def. Haley HALLGREN/Megan KRAFT (USC); 21-16, 14-21, 15-13
4. Joy DENNIS/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Mary SINCLAIR/Calista WRIGHT (PEPP); 21-13, 21-14
5. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Jordan BENOIT/Kristine BRIEDE (PEPP); 21-17, 21-13
Exh. Paige DREEUWS/Harper HALLGREN (USC) def. Cameron BAKLENKO/Gracie PEDERSON (PEPP); 21-17, 21-17
Order of finish: 4, 2, 5*, 3, 1