USC women take down UCLA for 4th consecutive beach volleyball championship
The USC Trojans celebrate after defeating the UCLA Bruins to win the Division I Women's Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Top-seeded USC won its fourth consecutive NCAA beach volleyball championship Sunday, defeating second-seeded UCLA, 3-0, in the championship dual at Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The Trojans (37-5) won the first match to be decided, sophomore Madison White and graduate student Maddi Kriz defeating senior Peri Brennan and graduate student Devon Newberry, 14-21, 21-19, 15-13 on Court 2.
USC increased its lead to 2-0 when freshman Ashley Pater and graduate student Grace Seits completed a 24-26, 25-23, 15-8 victory over graduate student Jaden Whitmarsh and senior Tessa Van Winkle on Court 4.
The Trojans completed the victory when twins Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse defeated junior Jessie Smith and redshirt freshman Kenzie Brower, 22-20, 15-21, 15-11, on Court 3 in the final match of their college careers. The Nourses are graduate students.
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The Nourses were 32-7 for the season, including winning each of their final nine matches. The twins are 12-1 in the NCAA tournament, winning their final 10 matches.
The Bruins completed their season 35-7.
The Nourses and the Pater-Seits team were selected for the All- Tournament Team along with Trojan seniors Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple who were leading their match on Court 1 against sophomore Maggie Boyd and graduate student Lexy Denaburg, 21-16, 18-21, 8-4 when play was suspended after USC clinched the match.
UCLA junior Natalie Myszkowski and redshirt freshman Ensley Alden were also selected to the All-Tournament Team. They were trailing their match on Court 5 against sophomore Mabyn Thomas and freshman Madison Goellner, 17-21, 23- 21, 4-2 when play was suspended.
The Trojans won all four of their matches in the tournament 3-0, defeating North Florida in the round of 16 Friday, Loyola Marymount in a quarterfinal Saturday and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a semifinal later Saturday.
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The Trojans were 4-3 against the Bruins this season, increasing their lead in the series to 27-20. USC is 4-2 against UCLA in the NCAA tournament, including a 3-1 record in the championship dual.
USC and UCLA have combined to win all eight NCAA beach volleyball tournaments. The Trojans also won the 2016 and 2017 tournaments while the Bruins won in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
All eight NCAA beach volleyball tournaments have been held in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The 2025 and 2026 tournaments will be held at the Huntington Beach Pier.