No. 2 USC Beach Volleyball Powers Past No. 19 Panthers and Eagles at Surf & Turf Invitational
SOUTH BEACH, Fla. – The No. 2-ranked USC beach volleyball team (10-1) collected a pair of wins at the Surf & Turf Invitational on the Lummus Park Beach Courts with a 5-0 victory over No. 19 Florida International (8-1) and a 4-1 win against Florida Gulf Coast (10-5) on Wednesday, March 16.
The win runs the Trojans' streak to nine consecutive victories, which includes five 5-0 sweeps and one 3-0 victory (truncated due to weather conditions). USC improved to 23-4 in matches played in the Eastern Time Zone and to 16-1 in the Sunshine State.
Tina Graudina paired with Hailey Harward to earn a 21-14, 21-12 win over Giada Bianchin and Paige Kalkhoff of FIU and not only delivered the clinching point in a 5-0 sweep of the Panthers, but in the process collected her 100th-career collegiate victory. Graudina becomes just the 10th Trojan to reach the 100-win plateau and holds the third-highest win percentage (.918) among that elite list. Graudina-Harward later punched in the clinching point in a 4-1 win over FGCU with a 21-16, 21-19 victory over Kacie Johnson and Maddison Parmelly. It's the seventh time in 10 wins that the Trojans' top tandem has secured the clinching point in a dual.
Delaynie Maple and Julia Scoles improved to 11-0 on the season with a 21-17, 21-13 win over Emma Erteltova and Gina Lipscomb of FIU in the morning and a 21-13, 21-9 victory against Shelby Beisner and Elizabeth Richmond in the afternoon. Also still undefeated, Megan Kraft and Sammy Slater got a pair of wins to move to 10-0 on the spring. Kraft-Maple took down FIU's Rachele Mancinelli and Emily Meyer, 21-15, 21-13; and got a 21-10, 21-8 win over FGCU's Jacqueline Carpenter and Trinity Rosales.
At the No. 4 position, twin sisters Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse defeated Zuzanna Bielak and Roberto Ribeiro of FIU, 21-17, 21-13; and took a 21-9, 21-18 win over Emma Hansen and Kaitlyn Luebbers of FGCU. The twins improved to 42-7 all-time and moved into a tie for seventh all-time among USC pairs for total wins. They pulled equal with the pairs of Haley Hallgren and Alexandra Poletteo (42-9) and Kirby Burnham and Sara Hughes (42-4).
Mollie Ebertin and Sunny Villapando teamed up at the No. 5 position for a 22-20, 18-21, 15-10 win over Lisa Luini and Kendall Mather in the first dual against Florida International. It was a fourth straight win for Ebertin-Villapando, which improved to 6-1. Against Florida Gulf Coast, Emily Hansen and Shannon Scully stepped into the fifth spot and went three sets with Snowy Burnam and Cortney Vanliew, but fell to the Eagle tandem, 21-19, 19-21, 15-11.
In non-scoring exhibition matches, Paige Dreeuws and Caroline Schafer claimed a 29-27, 21-19 win over FIU's Sophia Brandstetter and Serah O'Keefe; but Harper Hallgren and Paige Hammons split sets with an FGCU pair for a no-decision final.
The Women of Troy return from their East Coast visit to host Houston Baptist and CSU Bakersfield for midday duals at Merle Norman Stadium on Tuesday (March 22). Matches are scheduled to be streamed live. USC also hits the road again next weekend for the Pac-12 South Invitational at Bear Down Beach in Tucson, Ariz. The Trojans will face Utah, Arizona State, and Washington on Saturday and Sunday (March 26-27) in a preview of the site of the 2022 Pac-12 Championship.
For more information on the USC beach volleyball team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/beach. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCBeach.
No. 2 USC def. No. 19 Florida International, 5-0
FIU Surf & Turf Invitational
Lummus Park Beach Courts · South Beach, Fla.
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
RECORDS: Florida International (8-1), USC (9-1)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Hailey HARWARD (USC) def. Giada BIANCHI/Paige KALKHOFF (FIU); 21-14, 21-12
2. Megan KRAFT/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Rachele MANCINELLI/Emily MEYER (FIU); 21-15, 21-13
3. Delaynie MAPLE/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Emma ERTELTOVA/Gina LIPSCOMB (FIU); 21-17, 21-13
4. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Zuzanna BIELAK/Roberta RIBEIRO (FIU); 21-17, 21-13
5. Mollie EBERTIN/Sunny VILLAPANDO (USC) def. Lisa LUINI/Kendall MATHER (FIU); 22-20, 18-21, 15-10
Exh. Paige DREEUWS/Caroline SCHAFER (USC) def. Sophia BRANDSTETTER/Serah O'KEEFE (FIU); 29-27, 21-19
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1*, 2, 3
No. 2 USC def. Florida Gulf Coast, 4-1
FIU Surf & Turf Invitational
Lummus Park Beach Courts · South Beach, Fla.
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
RECORDS: USC (10-1), Florida Gulf Coast (10-5)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Hailey HARWARD (USC) def. Kacie JOHNSON/Maddison PARMELLY (FGCU); 21-16, 21-19
2. Megan KRAFT/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Jacqueline CARPENTER/Trinity ROSALES (FGCU); 21-10, 21-8
3. Delaynie MAPLE/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Shelby BEISNER/Elizabeth RICHMOND (FGCU); 21-13, 21-9
4. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Emma HANSEN/Kaitlyn LUEBBERS (FGCU); 21-9, 21-18
5. Snowy BURNAM/Cortney VANLIEW (FGCU) def. Emily HANSEN/Shannon SCULLY (USC); 21-19, 19-21, 15-11
Exh. Harper HALLGREN/Paige HAMMONS (USC) vs. Skylar ENGLISH/Mia THOMPSON (FGCU); 21-12, 17-21 DNF
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3, 1*, 2