No. 1 USC Beach Volleyball Continues Dominant Run With 4-1 Win Over No. 3 UCLA
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – No. 1-ranked USC beach volleyball (27-1) proved its mettle with a 4-1 win over No. 3-ranked crosstown rival UCLA (27-4) to conclude the Center of Effort Challenge at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex on Saturday, April 16.
The Women of Troy avenged their only loss of the season and pushed the program's third longest win streak to 26 straight duals with the win. USC improved to 17-14 all-time against the Bruins and goes to 124-14 all-time when the Trojans hold the No. 1 ranking.
Tina Graudina and Hailey Harward posted the first point of the dual and had the pleasure of avenging their only individual loss of the season with a dominant 21-12, 21-13 win over Lexy Denaberg and Abby Van Winkle at the top court. It was the 23rd straight win for Graudina-Harward who improve to 24-1 overall. In the match, Harward earned her 56th win with the Trojans, which marked her 100th-collegiate victory (44 with Long Beach State). Graudina won her 115th-career match, which moved her ahead of All-American Terese Cannon (2016-19) into seventh all-time at USC.
The only streak longer than the Graudina-Harward string belongs to Delaynie Maple and Julia Scoles. Maple and Scoles made it a 2-0 lead for the Trojans when they took down Lea Monkhouse and Jessie Smith, 21-14, 21-11, at the No. 3 spot. It was the 28th straight victory for Maple-Scoles—who are now 28-0 on the season—and puts the duo just one win from matching the program's second-longest streak.
Just like they did in the day's early dual, sisters Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse delivered the clinching point in the dual with a 21-16, 21-14 win at court four over Sophie Moore and Natalie Myszkowski. The twin sisters improved to 19-4 on the season and to 55-10 all-time, which moves them into fifth in program history for wins by a pair.
UCLA scored its only point in the dual with a win at the No. 5 position. There, Marlie Monserez and Rileigh Powers claimed a 21-19, 21-14 win over Mollie Ebertin and Shannon Scully.
In the dual's only three-set match, Megan Kraft and Sammy Slater responded after dropping their first set to Devon Newberry and Jaden Whitmarsh at the No. 2 position and came up with a 17-21, 21-19, 15-7 win to seal a 4-1 victory for the Women of Troy. Kraft and Slater win their 20th straight match to stay unbeaten at 20-0 on the season. Slater's 4-0 weekend gives her 112-career wins, which now ties her former partner Terese Cannon for eighth all-time in USC history.
In less than one week, the Trojans and Bruins will meet once more in the teams' regular-season finale. USC hosts UCLA at Merle Norman Stadium for Senior Day on Friday, April 22, at 1 p.m. PT.
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. 3 UCLA, 4-1
Center of Effort Challenge
Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex · San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Saturday, April 16, 2022
RECORDS: USC (27-1), UCLA (27-4)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Hailey HARWARD (USC) def. Lexy DENABERG/Abby VAN WINKLE (UCLA); 21-12, 21-13
2. Megan KRAFT/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Devon NEWBERRY/Jaden WHITMARSH (UCLA); 17-21, 21-19, 15-7
3. Delaynie MAPLE/Julia SCOLES (USC) def. Lea MONKHOUSE/Jessie SMITH (UCLA); 21-14, 21-11
4. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Sophie MOORE/Natalie MYSZKOWSKI (UCLA); 21-16, 21-14
5. Marlie MONSEREZ/Rileigh POWERS (UCLA) def. Mollie EBERTIN/Shannon SCULLY (USC); 21-19, 21-14
Order of finish: 1, 3, 4*, 5, 2