Players Mentioned
Photo by: Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA
USC Beach Runs Through Waves For 3-0 Win
May 03, 2019 | Women's Beach Volleyball, Features
The Women of Troy advance to Saturday at the NCAA championship and await their next opponent
GULF SHORES, Ala. – The top-seeded USC beach volleyball team (29-5) earned a 3-0 win over fourth-seeded No. 5-ranked Pepperdine (20-11) in the NCAA Championship contender's bracket on Friday, May 3. The Women of Troy survived elimination and sent the Waves home on the first day of the national championship for the first time. USC improves to 14-13 all-time against Pepperdine.
With their backs up against the wall, the Trojans came out fighting and earned straight-set wins at three positions to ride out the Waves. At the No. 4 spot, junior Joy Dennis and sophomore Maja Kaiser turned on the jets to take a 21-16, 21-15 win over Maddie Dilfer and Nikki Lyons for the first point of the dual.
Shortly thereafter, the Trojans claimed a 2-0 lead in the dual when junior Cammie Dorn and freshman Mollie Ebertin each earned their first NCAA championship victories on a 21-14, 21-14 victory over Katie Gavin and Simone Priebe at court five. Less than a minute later, the dual was clinched from the No. 3 spot where sophomore Haley Hallgren and senior Alexandra Poletto took down Skylar Caputo and Alexis Filippone, 21-16, 21-15.
With the dual decided, play at the Nos. 1 and 2 courts was halted. At the top spot, senior Abril Bustamante and sophomore Tina Graudina had taken their first set, 21-18, over Brook Bauer and Heidi Dyer; and led the Waves, 15-14, in the second. At No. 2, senior Terese Cannon and sophomore Sammy Slater won their first set, 21-13, over Gigi Hernandez and Deahna Kraft, but trailed the Waves, 16-13, in the second frame when play was stopped.
The Trojans now await their next opponent and will play another elimination dual in the contender's bracket at 1 p.m. CT (11 a.m. PT) on Saturday, May 4. USC will face the loser of a match between second-seeded UCLA (32-3) and third-seeded Florida State (29-5). The dual will be shown live on ESPN2. Should the Trojans win that match-up, they will advance to play again at 5 p.m. CT.
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, and Instagram.
[1] No. 1 USC def. [4] No. 5 Pepperdine, 3-0
Gulf Shores Public Beach • Gulf Shores, Ala.
NCAA Championship • Contender's Elimination Match
Friday, May 3, 2019
Records: USC (29-5), Pepperdine (20-11)
1. Abril Bustamante/Tina Graudina (USC) vs. Brook Bauer/Heidi Dyer (PEPP); 21-18, 15-14 susp.
2. Terese Cannon/Sammy Slater (USC) vs. Gigi Hernandez/Deahna Kraft (PEPP); 21-13, 13-16 susp.
3. Haley Hallgren/Alexandra Poletto (USC) def. Skylar Caputo/Alexis Filippone (PEPP); 21-16, 21-15
4. Joy Dennis/Maja Kaiser (USC) def. Maddie Dilfer/Nikki Lyons (PEPP); 21-16, 21-15
5. Cammie Dorn/Mollie Ebertin (USC) def. Katie Gavin/Simone Priebe (PEPP); 21-14, 21-14
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3*
With their backs up against the wall, the Trojans came out fighting and earned straight-set wins at three positions to ride out the Waves. At the No. 4 spot, junior Joy Dennis and sophomore Maja Kaiser turned on the jets to take a 21-16, 21-15 win over Maddie Dilfer and Nikki Lyons for the first point of the dual.
Shortly thereafter, the Trojans claimed a 2-0 lead in the dual when junior Cammie Dorn and freshman Mollie Ebertin each earned their first NCAA championship victories on a 21-14, 21-14 victory over Katie Gavin and Simone Priebe at court five. Less than a minute later, the dual was clinched from the No. 3 spot where sophomore Haley Hallgren and senior Alexandra Poletto took down Skylar Caputo and Alexis Filippone, 21-16, 21-15.
With the dual decided, play at the Nos. 1 and 2 courts was halted. At the top spot, senior Abril Bustamante and sophomore Tina Graudina had taken their first set, 21-18, over Brook Bauer and Heidi Dyer; and led the Waves, 15-14, in the second. At No. 2, senior Terese Cannon and sophomore Sammy Slater won their first set, 21-13, over Gigi Hernandez and Deahna Kraft, but trailed the Waves, 16-13, in the second frame when play was stopped.
The Trojans now await their next opponent and will play another elimination dual in the contender's bracket at 1 p.m. CT (11 a.m. PT) on Saturday, May 4. USC will face the loser of a match between second-seeded UCLA (32-3) and third-seeded Florida State (29-5). The dual will be shown live on ESPN2. Should the Trojans win that match-up, they will advance to play again at 5 p.m. CT.
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, and Instagram.
[1] No. 1 USC def. [4] No. 5 Pepperdine, 3-0
Gulf Shores Public Beach • Gulf Shores, Ala.
NCAA Championship • Contender's Elimination Match
Friday, May 3, 2019
Records: USC (29-5), Pepperdine (20-11)
1. Abril Bustamante/Tina Graudina (USC) vs. Brook Bauer/Heidi Dyer (PEPP); 21-18, 15-14 susp.
2. Terese Cannon/Sammy Slater (USC) vs. Gigi Hernandez/Deahna Kraft (PEPP); 21-13, 13-16 susp.
3. Haley Hallgren/Alexandra Poletto (USC) def. Skylar Caputo/Alexis Filippone (PEPP); 21-16, 21-15
4. Joy Dennis/Maja Kaiser (USC) def. Maddie Dilfer/Nikki Lyons (PEPP); 21-16, 21-15
5. Cammie Dorn/Mollie Ebertin (USC) def. Katie Gavin/Simone Priebe (PEPP); 21-14, 21-14
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3*
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