No. 1 USC Beach Volleyball Claims 3-2 Senior Day Victory Over No. 3 UCLA

LOS ANGELES – No. 1-ranked USC beach volleyball (28-1) collected its 27th straight dual victory in a 3-2 win over No. 3-ranked crosstown rival UCLA (28-5) to conclude the regular season on Friday, April 22, at Merle Norman Stadium.
 
After the dual, the Women of Troy honored 11 seniors, graduates, and fifth-year players, and brought back alumna Cammie Dorn, who did not have a Senior Day due to the shutdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020.
 
The Trojans secured three straight-set victories to clinch the dual before the Bruins won a pair of three-setters to make the final score, 3-2. USC improved to 18-14 (.563) all-time against the Bruins (to 8-3 at Merle Norman Stadium) and has won six of the last 10 meetings. The win is also USC's 20th over a ranked opponent, the 11th against a top-10 foe, and the fifth against a team ranked in the top five.
 
USC fired the first shot with a win at the No. 4 position where Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse defeated Sophie Moore and Natalie Myszkowski, 21-17, 21-14, for their 20th win of the season and to extend their win streak to four matches.
 
Moments later, the Trojans pushed the lead to 2-0 with a win at the No. 2 position where Megan Kraft and Sammy Slater extended their win streak to 21 wins with a 22-20, 21-9 victory over Devon Newberry and Jaden Whitmarsh.
 
The clinching point went up when Tina Graudina and Hailey Harward went 21-17, 21-10 over Lexy Denaberg and Abby Van Winkle for a win at the top court. It was Graudina-Harward's 24th win in a row as the duo improved to 25-1 on the season.
 
UCLA got on the board with a win by its No. 3 pair. Lea Monkhouse and Jessie Smith needed three sets and extra points, but defeated Delaynie Maple and Julia Scoles, 21-18, 13-21, 22-20, to hand the Trojan duo its first loss of the season, snapping a 28-match win streak.
 
The Bruins got a second three-set win from the No. 5 pair of Marlie Monserez and Rileigh Powers. The UCLA duo beat Mollie Ebertin and Sunny Villapando, 21-14, 12-21, 15-10. In a non-scoring exhibition match, the Bruins' pair of Pani Napoleon and Tessa Van Winkle beat Caroline Schafer and Shannon Scully, 21-19, 21-16.
 
In addition to Dorn, Slater, Graudina, Harward, Scoles, Ebertin, Villapando, Schafer, Scully, the Trojans honored graduate transfers Emily Hansen and Paige Hammons, and fifth-year senior Paige Dreeuws.
 
Up next, the Women of Troy await seeding in the Pac-12 Championship set for Wednesday-Friday, April 27-29, at Bear Down Beach in Tucson, Ariz., hosted by the University of Arizona. USC owns three Pac-12 titles (2016, 2017, 2019) and was the runner-up to UCLA in 2018 and 2021. The Trojans' 2017 crown was won on Bear Down Beach.
 
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, 3-2
Merle Norman Stadium · Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, April 22, 2022
RECORDS: USC (28-1), UCLA (28-5)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Hailey HARWARD (USC) def. Lexy DENABERG/Abby VAN WINKLE (UCLA); 21-17, 21-10
2. Megan KRAFT/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Devon NEWBERRY/Jaden WHITMARSH (UCLA); 22-20, 21-9
3. Lea MONKHOUSE/Jessie SMITH (UCLA) def. Delaynie MAPLE/Julia SCOLES (USC); 21-18, 13-21, 22-20 
4. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Sophie MOORE/Natalie MYSZKOWSKI (UCLA); 21-17, 21-14
5. Marlie MONSEREZ/Rileigh POWERS (UCLA def. Mollie EBERTIN/Sunny VILLAPANDO (USC); 21-14, 12-21, 15-10 
Exh. Pani NAPOLEON/Tessa VAN WINKLE (UCLA) def. Caroline SCHAFER/Shannon SCULLY (USC); 21-19, 21-16
Order of finish: 4, 2, 1*, 3, 5