USC Sweeps Stanford to Advance to Pac-12 Championship Dual

LOS ANGELES – The top-seeded and No. 1-ranked USC beach volleyball team (26-3) claimed a 3-0 win over fourth-seeded and No. 9-ranked Stanford (23-11) in the contender's bracket final of the Pac-12 Championship at Mapes Beach on Saturday, May 1. 
 
The win moves the Trojans into the Pac-12 Championship dual set for 4 p.m. PT in a rematch with No. 2-seeded UCLA (27-3) at 4 p.m. PT. USC improves to 9-0 all-time against Stanford and to 18-4 in duals at the Pac-12 Championship with a 74-16 record in individual matches. The Trojans also go to 70-14 all-time against Pac-12 opponents with the win.
 
USC scores the first point of the dual with a win at court four when graduate Joy Dennis and freshman Delaynie Maple got a 21-18, 21-13 win over Emmy Sharp and Amelia Smith. The Trojans' No. 2 pair of graduate Julia Scoles and senior Sammy Slater put the Women of Troy on top, 2-0, when they defeated Charlie Ekstrom and Maya Harvey, 21-13, 21-19.
 
Trojans won first sets on each of the odd-numbered courts, but the dual was suspended when senior Haley Hallgren and graduate Hailey Harwardtook down Maddi Kriz and Kate Reilly, 21-11, 21-13, at the No. 3 position. At the top court, junior Tina Graudina and freshman Megan Kraft were up, 21-19, 16-13, on Xolani Hodel and Sunny Villapando when play stopped. At the fifth court, Trojan sophomores Audrey Nourse and Nicole Noursewere nursing a 21-17, 12-9 lead over Maddie Dailey and Jordan McKinney.
 
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.
 
[1] No. 1 USC def. [4] No. 9 Stanford, 3-0
2021 Pac-12 Championship • Contender's Bracket Final
Mapes Beach • Los Angeles, Calif.
Saturday, May 1, 2021
RECORDS: USC (26-3), Stanford (23-11)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Megan KRAFT (USC) vs. Xolani HODEL/Sunny VILLAPANDO (STAN); 21-19, 16-13
2. Julia SCOLES/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Charlie EKSTROM/Maya HARVEY (STAN); 21-13, 21-19
3. Haley HALLGREN/Hailey HARWARD (USC) def. Maddi KRIZ/Kate REILLY (STAN); 21-11, 21-13
4. Joy DENNIS/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Emmy SHARP/Amelia SMITH (STAN); 21-18, 21-13
5. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) vs. Maddie DAILEY/Jordan McKINNEY (STAN); 21-17, 12-9
Order of finish: 4, 2, 3*