Pepperdine University
USC
#3 Waves Fall to #1 USC, 3-2
3/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
LOS ANGELES - The #3 Pepperdine sand volleyball team rallied back from an 0-2 deficit against #1 USC, but was unable to break through for the victory and fell 3-2.
The loss drops the Waves to 6-2, while the Trojans improve to 7-0 on the year.
The No. 4 and No. 5 flights played first, with USC coming out on top in both matches.
Down 0-2, the three remaining Pepperdine pairs were all faced with must-win situations.
The Waves All-American contingent, comprised of Kellie Woolever (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS) and Kelley Larsen (Jamul, Calif./Christian HS) at No. 1, and Becca Strehlow (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS/UCLA) and Lara Dykstra (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union HS/Nebraska) at No. 2 did not disappoint.
Woolever and Larsen rebounded from their loss last week at Long Beach State to win in straight sets today against Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes from the top spot in the lineup, 21-17, 21-17. Hughes is the reigning AVCA Pairs National Champion, after taking the crown alongside Kirby Burnham last season as a freshman.
Dykstra and Strehlow tied the score at 2-2, following their 17-21, 21-16, 15-11 triumph over Sophie Bukovec and Alexa Strange.
In the deciding match, Delaney Knudsen (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) and Emily Cook (Huntington Beach, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) split sets with Eve Ettinger and Meg Norton, but fell 15-9 in the third.
Pepperdine continues the week at the Palmetto Invitational, hosted by South Carolina, on March 28-29. The Waves face FIU and the Gamecocks in dual action on Saturday, before concluding the tournament with a pairs championship. The dual vs. South Carolina will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Dual | #1 USC 3, #3 Pepperdine 2
March 24, 2015 | Los Angeles, Calif.
No. 1 Kelley Larsen/Kellie Woolever (PEP) def. Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes (USC) 21-17, 21-17
No. 2 Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Sophie Bukovec/Alexa Strange (USC); 17-21, 21-16, 15-11
No. 3 Eve Ettinger/Meg Norton (USC) def. Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) 17-21, 21-14, 15-9
No. 4 Nicolette Martin/Allie Wheeler (USC) def. Sophie Asprey/Taylor Racich (PEP) 21-19, 21-16
No. 5 Jenna Belton/Bria Russ (USC) def. Katie Messing/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) 21-23, 21-16, 15-12
