Pepperdine University
Hawai'i
Waves Survive and Advance at National Championships
5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
GULF SHORES, ALA. -- The #4-ranked Pepperdine sand volleyball team survived an elimination-round dual vs. #2 Hawaii, 3-2, to continue the pursuit of its third AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship title. The Waves defeated Georgia State in the opening round, before suffering another narrow loss to top-ranked USC in the quarterfinals of the main draw.
Pepperdine (12-5) continues action in the elimination bracket tomorrow morning against #3 FIU (20-2). The Panthers got the better of the defending national champions during the regular season, but the Waves have already proved they are ready for redemption. Pepperdine had previously lost to the Rainbow Wahine in Honolulu back in March, but ended Hawaii's season at 18-3 with today's triumph.
A win would send Pepperdine to the back draw finals, where they'll face the loser of the USC-Long Beach State semifinal. The winner of the back draw finals earns a ticket back into the main draw for the national championship title match, slated for a 2 p.m. start.
"Today we had girls step up who we needed to step up, and I'm really pleased with how everyone played today," said head coach Nina Matthies. "We knew we'd have to play SC, and I think we are getting better against them every time. Literally just one or two points here or there. I'm glad we are getting a chance to redeem ourselves against some of the teams we lost to earlier this year."
Pepperdine opened the day with a smooth 5-0 victory over Georgia State (18-3). The Waves won four of the five matches in two sets.
Becca Strehlow (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS/UCLA) and Lara Dykstra (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union HS/Nebraska) kept the errors to a minimum, giving up just six points to attack and service miscues in route to their 21-14, 21-14 win against Majda Dostalova and Milani Pickering. Kelley Larsen (Jamul, Calif./Christian HS) and Kellie Woolever (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS) also won in two sets to post Pepperdine's second point of the morning.
Emily Cook (Huntington Beach, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) and Delaney Knudsen (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) clinched the dual at 3-0 for the Waves with a 21-18, 21-14 win over Kate Rawls and Nina Interwies. The duo was unstoppable for the Waves throughout Friday's action, posting three straight-set decisions.
Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy) and Corinne Quiggle (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) made their debut together at No. 5 and dispatched Delaney Rohan and Natalie Wilson, 24-22, 21-15. Cash was a wall at the net, posting an incredulous eight blocks in the two-set win, including back-to-back blocks to wrap the match.
Sophie Asprey (Southlake, Texas/Liberty Christian/Tulane) and Katie Messing (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS) dropped their first set, but still emerged with a three-set triumph at No. 4 to round out the team's first dual of the day.
In the quarterfinals, the Waves were faced with top-seeded USC. Although the Waves took a 2-0 lead, and had chances in the other matches to put it away, the Trojans battled back to win the final three matches in three sets to take the dual.
Cook and Knudsen put a point on the board with a straight-set win over Eve Ettinger and Meg Norton, while Cash and Quiggle also picked up their second triumph of the day.
At No. 2, Strehlow and Dykstra were forced to go three after Sophie Bukovec and Alexa Strange edged the Waves in set two 21-19. Although the Pepperdine pair had a two point lead late, the Trojans rose to the occasion and earned their team's first point of the afternoon, winning 15-13 in the third.
Larsen and Woolever were forced to play catchup after dropping their first set to Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes, and were able to come from behind to steal set two 22-20. Hughes and Claes denied Team Kell(i)ey in the third, winning 15-13.
Asprey and Messing suffered a similar fate, and were unable to close out the third set against Jessica Fourspring and Alexis Townsend.
With the loss, the Waves were sent to the elimination bracket where they faced off against Hawaii. The Rainbow Wahine were upset by Long Beach State in the opening round before defeating Florida State.
Cook and Knudsen continued their hot streak, downing Sammie Brown and Hannah Rooks in straight-sets. Hawaii got one back with a win at No. 4, while the remaining three matches went to third sets.
After splitting games with Nikki Taylor and Brittany Tiegs, Team Kell(i)ey blitzed out to a 9-0 lead in the third. With momentum entirely on their side, the Pepperdine pair won 15-5.
Dykstra and Strehlow clinched the victory at 3-1, outlasting Olivia Urban and Kate Spieler in three sets, 19-21, 21-13, 15-9.
USC, Long Beach State, Pepperdine and FIU are still in contention for the national title. The Trojans and 49ers both went 2-0 today and are the two lone teams remaining in the main draw. Hawaii, Stetson, Georgia State and Florida State were all eliminated from the team competition today.
Live updates from tomorrow's matches can be followed on Twitter at @PeppSandVolley
Dual | #4 Pepperdine 5, #7 Georgia State 0
May 1, 2015 | Gulf Shores, Ala. | AVCA National Championships First Round
No. 1 Kelley Larsen/Kellie Woolever (PEP) def. Jansen Button/Sara Olivova (GSU) 21-16, 21-13
No. 2 Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Majda Dostalova/Milani Pickering (GSU) 21-14, 21-14
No. 3 Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) def. Kate Rawls/Nina Interwies (GSU) 21-18, 21-14
No. 4 Sophie Asprey/Katie Messing (PEP) def. Jessica Fourspring/Alexis Townsend (GSU) 19-21, 21-19, 15-13
No. 5 Corinne Quiggle/Samantha Cash (PEP) def. Delaney Rohan/Natalie Wilson (GSU) 24-22, 21-15
Dual | #1 USC 3, #4 Pepperdine 2
May 1, 2015 | Gulf Shores, Ala. | AVCA National Championships Quarterfinals
No. 1 Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes (USC) def. Kelley Larsen/Kellie Woolever (PEP) 21-10, 20-22, 15-13
No. 2 Sophie Bukovec/Alexa Strange (USC) def. Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) 12-21, 21-19, 15-13
No. 3 Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) def. Eve Ettinger/Meg Norton (USC) 21-18, 21-19
No. 4 Nicolette Martin/Allie Wheeler (USC) Sophie Asprey/ Katie Messing (PEP) 21-14, 16-21, 15-11
No. 5 Corinne Quiggle/Samantha Cash (PEP) def. Jenna Belton/Bria Russ (USC) 21-15, 22-20
Dual | #4 Pepperdine 3, #2 Hawaii 2
May 1, 2015 | Gulf Shores, Ala. | AVCA National Championships Back Draw Quarterfinals
No. 1 Kellie Woolever/Kelley Larsen (PEP) def. Brittany Tiegs/Nikki Taylor (UH) 21-12, 20-22, 15-5
No. 2 Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Olivia Urban/Katie Spieler (UH) 19-21, 21-13, 15-9
No. 3 Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) def.Sammie Brown/Hannah Rooks (UH) 21-17, 21-11
No. 4 Mikayla Tucker/Kaiwi Shucht (UH) def. Sophie Asprey/Katie Messing (PEP) 21-15, 21-15
No. 5 Lara Schreiber/Heather Boyan (UH) def. Samantha Cash/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) 12-21, 21-18, 15-10
