No. 1 USC Beach Volleyball Stifles No. 9 Stanford for 13th 5-0 Sweep

STANFORD, Calif. – No. 1-ranked USC beach volleyball (20-1) racked up a 5-0 sweep over host No. 9-ranked Stanford (14-7) at the Pac-12 North Invitational on Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium sand on Saturday, April 9.
 
The Women of Troy extended the program's fourth-longest win streak with their 19th-consecutive dual victory and improved to 11-0 all-time against the Cardinal. The Trojans picked up their 13th 5-0 sweep of the season (14th shutout victory) and went to 14-2 in duals played in Northern California. USC also improved to 117-14 all-time when it holds the No. 1 ranking.
 
Played in two flights, USC scored the first point of the dual with a win at the No. 4 position where juniors Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse posted a 21-10, 21-15 win over Maya Harvey and Emmy Sharp. The Nourse sisters won their fourth straight to improve to 13-3 on the season and moved one step closer to reaching the 50-win plateau as a pair. They are now 49-9 all-time.
 
The 2-0 lead went up with a straight-set win at the No. 2 court where Delaynie Maple and Julia Scoles produced a 21-11, 22-20 win over Xolani Hodel and Taylor Wilson to extend their team-leading 21-match win streak. Tina Graudina and Hailey Harward delivered the clinching point from the No. 1 position with a 21-7, 21-17 win over Charlie Ekstrom and Kate Reilly. It was the 16th straight win for Graudina-Harward who improve to 17-1 on the season.
 
USC moved out to a 4-0 lead with a win by pair three. Caroline Schafer and Sammy Slater took down Jordan McKinney and Emma Morries, 21-17, 21-13, for their third win together. The five pairs went three sets, but the Trojans prevailed to complete the 5-0 sweep. There, Mollie Ebertin and former Stanford All-American Sunny Villapando completed a 25-27, 21-11, 15-9 win over Camdyn Doucet and Serena Turner.
 
In a non-scoring exhibition match, Stanford's Maddie Dailey and Avi Vetter defeated Harper Hallgren and Shannon Scully, 21-16, 21-16.
 
The Trojans are back in action against 12th-ranked California (19-6) at 2 p.m. PT on the Stanford Graduate School of Business sand volleyball courts. The match will not be broadcast nor live streamed. USC will take on No. 17 Arizona on Sunday morning (April 10) on Pac-12 Bay Area and then concludes the Pac-12 North Invitational against Oregon at 2 p.m. that afternoon.
 
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. 1 USC def. No. 9 Stanford, 5-0
Pac-12 North Invitational
Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium · Stanford, Calif.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
RECORDS: USC (20-1), Stanford (14-7)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Hailey HARWARD (USC) def. Charlie EKSTROM/Kate REILLY (STAN); 21-7, 21-17
2. Delaynie MAPLE/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Xolani HODEL/Taylor WILSON (STAN); 21-11, 22-20
3. Caroline SCHAFER/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Jordan McKINNEY/Emma MORRIS (STAN); 21-17, 21-13
4. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Maya HARVEY/Emmy SHARP (STAN); 21-10, 21-15
5. Mollie EBERTIN/Sunny VILLAPANDO (USC) def. Camdyn DOUCET/Serena TURNER (STAN); 25-27, 21-11, 15-9
Exh. Maddie DAILEY/Avi VETTER (STAN) def. Harper HALLGREN/Shannon SCULLY (USC); 21-16, 21-16
Order of finish: 4, 2, 1*, 3, 5