No. 3 USC Beach Volleyball Tops Arizona State Under the Lights For 13th Straight Win
TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (14-1) extended to a 13-dual winning streak to tie the program's fourth-longest run with a 4-1 victory over Arizona State (10-10) in the Pac-12 South Invitational on Bear Down Beach on Saturday, March 26.
In her return to the lineup, All-American Sammy Slater posted her 100th-career victory to become only the 11th Trojan to cross the triple-digit wins plateau in school history. Slater teamed up with Caroline Schafer for the first time to play at the No. 3 position where the duo won a three-set battle, 21-11, 19-21, 15-13, over Rylie Kael and Sarah Waters.
The dual victory helps USC improve to 14-0 in all-time meetings with Arizona State. The Trojans also improve to 27-1 all-time in duals played in the state of Arizona (13-1 in Tucson specifically).
USC's first point in the dual came from the No. 2 pair of Hailey Harward and Megan Kraft. The tandem posted a 21-11, 21-18 win over Lila Bordis and Anya Pemberton to improve to 7-1 all-time as a pair (2-0 this season).
At the top spot, Delaynie Maple and Julia Scoles continued their pace-setting ways and earned a 21-10, 21-14 win over Cierra Flood and Lexi Sweeney. Maple-Scoles remains undefeated (15-0) with a 15th straight victory for the duo.
The clinching point came from the No. 5 position where Mollie Ebertin and Sunny Villapando claimed a 21-14, 21-19 win over Jensen Kaelin and Lauren Weintraub for their eighth straight win together. Ebertin-Villapando improves to 10-1 on the season and becomes the fourth Trojan duo to collect double-digit wins this spring.
Slater and Schafer's win accounted for the Trojans' fourth point in the dual. At the No. 4 position, Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse won their first set over Kate Fitzgerald and Kylie Wickley, 21-13, but couldn't stop the ASU comeback as the Devils won the second, 22-20, and finished off the three-set victory, 15-11, in the third to snap a seven-match win streak by the twin sisters.
USC returns to the sand to close out their run at the Pac-12 South Invitational with a morning bout against Washington (3-7) on Bear Down Beach at 11:45 a.m. PT. The dual will be shown live on the Pac-12 Networks' Mountain subnetwork.
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. 3 USC def. Arizona State, 4-1
Pac-12 South Invitational
Bear Down Beach · Tucson, Ariz.
Saturday, March 26, 2022
RECORDS: USC (14-1), Arizona State (10-10)
1. Delaynie MAPLE/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Cierra FLOOD/Lexi SWEENEY (ASU); 21-10, 21-14
2. Hailey HARWARD/Megan KRAFT (USC) def. Lila BORDIS/Anya PEMBERTON (ASU); 21-11, 21-18
3. Caroline SCHAFER/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Rylie KAEL/Sarah WATERS (ASU); 21-11, 19-21, 15-13
4. Kate FITZGERALD/Kylie WICKLEY (ASU) def. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC); 13-21, 22-20, 15-11
5. Mollie EBERTIN/Sunny VILLAPANDO (USC) def. Jensen KAELIN/Lauren WEINTRAUB (ASU); 21-14, 21-19
Order of finish: 2, 1, 5*, 3, 4