Five Trojans Named to Pac-12 Beach Volleyball All-Conference Teams
May 03, 2018 | Women's Beach Volleyball, Features
Tina Graudina was named to the first team and voted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 Conference announced its 2018 beach volleyball awards on Thursday, May 3, and honored five Women of Troy on the first and second teams. Freshman Tina Graudina was chosen as the league's Freshman of the Year.
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Senior Terese Cannon (Pittsford, N.Y.), junior Abril Bustamante (Redondo Beach, Calif.), and Graudina (Jurmala, Latvia) were each chosen for first-team honors. Freshmen Sammy Slater (Ventura, Calif.) and Haley Hallgren (Southlake, Texas) were each named to the second team. Graudina was also tabbed for the All-Freshman Team along with Slater.
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Conference champion UCLA collected the other major awards. Twin sisters Megan and Nicole McNamara were named the Pac-12 Pair of the Year. Nicole was chosen as the conference's Player of the Year and head coach Stein Metzger was named Coach of the Year.
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Both Cannon and Bustamante and repeat selections to the all-conference team. Cannon was a second-team choice in 2017 and Bustamante received second-team notice in 2016. Bustamante was also a member of the 2016 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Bustamante is 33-4 overall and has played all 37 of the Trojans' duals at the top court. Cannon is 29-7 overall. Each Trojan also received Pac-12 Player of the Week honors once with different respective partners this season.
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While Graudina, Hallgren, and Slater are first-time selections to the All-Pac-12 team, they are also the first Trojan freshmen since Bustamante to be chosen to the all-conference team. Graudina is USC's first-ever Freshman of the Year winner. Graudina is 28-2 on the season and produced winning streaks of nine and 19 matches with Bustamante at the No. 1 position. Hallgren is 26-11 overall and Slater is 29-7; each with various partners throughout the season.
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The Women of Troy (25-12) finished as the runner-up at the Pac-12 Championship and were chosen as one of two at-large selections into the 2018 NCAA Championship. They will face fourth-seeded Florida State (30-6) in the first round at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, May 4, in Gulf Shores, Ala. The dual will be shown live on ESPNU with individual court coverage on the ESPN+ and ESPN3 digital platforms. USC and Florida State met twice in the inaugural NCAA tournament in 2016.
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USC has won each of the last three national championships in collegiate beach volleyball including the final title awarded by the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) in 2015 and each of the first two NCAA championships (2016-17). The Trojans have also won 12 consecutive duals on Gulf Shores sand beginning with the 2015 championship run. Pepperdine owns two national titles (2012 and 2014 AVCA) and Long Beach State claimed the only other championship in 2013.
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For more information on the three-time national champion USC beach volleyball team and a complete schedule, please visit USCTrojans.com and follow @USCBeach on Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram, and Snapchat.
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Senior Terese Cannon (Pittsford, N.Y.), junior Abril Bustamante (Redondo Beach, Calif.), and Graudina (Jurmala, Latvia) were each chosen for first-team honors. Freshmen Sammy Slater (Ventura, Calif.) and Haley Hallgren (Southlake, Texas) were each named to the second team. Graudina was also tabbed for the All-Freshman Team along with Slater.
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Conference champion UCLA collected the other major awards. Twin sisters Megan and Nicole McNamara were named the Pac-12 Pair of the Year. Nicole was chosen as the conference's Player of the Year and head coach Stein Metzger was named Coach of the Year.
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Both Cannon and Bustamante and repeat selections to the all-conference team. Cannon was a second-team choice in 2017 and Bustamante received second-team notice in 2016. Bustamante was also a member of the 2016 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Bustamante is 33-4 overall and has played all 37 of the Trojans' duals at the top court. Cannon is 29-7 overall. Each Trojan also received Pac-12 Player of the Week honors once with different respective partners this season.
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While Graudina, Hallgren, and Slater are first-time selections to the All-Pac-12 team, they are also the first Trojan freshmen since Bustamante to be chosen to the all-conference team. Graudina is USC's first-ever Freshman of the Year winner. Graudina is 28-2 on the season and produced winning streaks of nine and 19 matches with Bustamante at the No. 1 position. Hallgren is 26-11 overall and Slater is 29-7; each with various partners throughout the season.
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The Women of Troy (25-12) finished as the runner-up at the Pac-12 Championship and were chosen as one of two at-large selections into the 2018 NCAA Championship. They will face fourth-seeded Florida State (30-6) in the first round at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, May 4, in Gulf Shores, Ala. The dual will be shown live on ESPNU with individual court coverage on the ESPN+ and ESPN3 digital platforms. USC and Florida State met twice in the inaugural NCAA tournament in 2016.
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USC has won each of the last three national championships in collegiate beach volleyball including the final title awarded by the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) in 2015 and each of the first two NCAA championships (2016-17). The Trojans have also won 12 consecutive duals on Gulf Shores sand beginning with the 2015 championship run. Pepperdine owns two national titles (2012 and 2014 AVCA) and Long Beach State claimed the only other championship in 2013.
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For more information on the three-time national champion USC beach volleyball team and a complete schedule, please visit USCTrojans.com and follow @USCBeach on Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram, and Snapchat.
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