Pepperdine University
Pairs Championship
Waves Top Podium at Rainbow Wahine Invitational
3/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
HONOLULU - The #1-ranked Pepperdine sand volleyball team bounced back from its dual loss yesterday with a dominant performance at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational pairs championship today. The Waves topped the podium in all three brackets.
Kellie Woolever (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS) and Kelley Larsen (Jamul, Calif./Christian HS) took top honors in the Gold Bracket, while Katie Messing (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) and Corinne Quiggle (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) topped the podium in the Silver Bracket. Leanna Schroeder (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) and Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy) rounded out the day with a first-place showing in the Bronze Bracket.
Seeding for the Rainbow Wahine Invitational was based on yesterday's pool play results. Woolever/Larsen, Delaney Knudsen (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS)/Lara Dykstra (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union HS/Nebraska), Sophie Asprey (Southlake, Texas/Liberty Christian/Tulane)/Taylor Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS) and Becca Strehlow (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS/UCLA)/Emily Cook (Huntington Beach, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) all won their respective pools and were placed in the Gold Bracket.
Strehlow and Cook went up against Asprey and Racich in the first round. The Waves' No. 3 pairing edged the No. 4 tandem 13-21, 21-18, 15-10.
Knudsen and Dykstra fell victim to Loyola Marymount's impressive No. 1 team of Sara Sponcil and Betsi Metter.
Woolever and Larsen received a first round bye before avenging yesterday's three set loss to the Lions. Team Kell(i)ey won a close 29-27, 21-17 decision over Sponcil and Metter to advance to the Gold Bracket finals.
There, they met Hawaii's No. 2 team of Olivia Urban and Katie Spieler. After stumbling in the first, the Waves forced a third set with a thrilling 31-29 triumph in the second frame. With momentum on their side, Woolever and Larsen handily won the third set, 15-5, to win their fourth title together.
Quiggle and Messing went 1-1 in pool play to be placed in the Silver Bracket, but won three matches in straight sets today to bolster their total in the win column. The pair, who holds down the No. 5 spot in the Pepperdine lineup, went up against Hawaii's No. 1 duo of Brittany Tiegs and Nikki Taylor and emerged with a 21-17, 29-27 victory in the finals.
Messing was honored as the tournament's "Best Blocker" for her efforts.
Cash and Schroeder bounced back from an 0-2 performance in pool play yesterday with two wins today with top the Bronze Bracket podium.
It was Schroeder's debut for the Waves after redshirting her freshman year in 2014.
The Waves' home opener at Zuma Beach is set for this Wednesday, March 11. Pepperdine first hosts #2 Florida State at 12 p.m. before facing TCU at 1 p.m.
Pairs | 2015 Rainbow Wahine Invitational
March 67, 2014 | Honolulu, Hawaii
Best Offense: Sarah Sponcil (LMU)
Best Blocker: Katie Messing (Pepperdine)
Best Defense: Katie Spieler (UH)
Aloha Spirit: Sophie Asprey (Pepperdine)
Gold Bracket
Quarterfinals
Metter/Sponcil (LMU) def. Knudsen/Dykstra (PEPP) 21-18, 21-17
Strehlow/Cook (PEPP) def. Asprey/Racich (PEPP) 13-21, 21-18, 15-10
Woolever/Larsen (PEPP) vs. bye
Urban/Spieler (UH) vs. bye
Semifinals
Woolever/Larsen (PEPP) def. Metter/Sponcil (LMU) 29-27, 21-17
Urban/Spieler (UH) def. Strehlow/Cook (PEPP) 21-15, 21-18
Final
Woolever/Larsen (PEPP) def. Urban/Spieler (UH) 17-21, 31-29, 15-5
Silver Bracket
Quarterfinals
Keil/Akana (LMU) def. Tucker/Shreiber (UH) 15-21, 21-15, 15-12
Quiggle/Messing (PEPP) def. Zalopany/Shucht (UH) 21-12, 23-21
Tiegs/Taylor (UH) def. Chow/Boyan (UH) 21-16, 22-24, 15-10
Brown/Rooks (UH) Taylor/Bush (LMU) 21-13, 18-21, 20-18
Semifinal
Quiggle/Messing (PEPP) def. Keil/Akana (LMU) 21-18, 21-11
Tiegs/Taylor (UH) def. Brown/Rooks (UH) 16-21, 21-14, 15-7
Final
Quiggle/Messing (PEPP) def. Tiegs/Taylor (UH) 21-17, 29-27
Bronze Bracket
Semifinals
Suaava/Tedrow (LMU) def. Carr/Castellanos (LMU) 21-8, 21-16
Cash/Schroeder (PEPP) def. Maxfeldt/Scioscia (LMU) 23-21, 21-16
Final
Cash/Schroeder (PEPP) def. Suaava/Tedrow (LMU) 18-21, 21-18, 15-13
