June 2, 2017
MALIBU, Calif. - The 2nd-ranked Pepperdine beach volleyball team saw its top three pairs ranked as one of the top-50 collegiate beach pairs nationally in the most recent edition of DiG Magazine mailed out on Thursday afternoon, with top-pair Delaney Knudsen and Madalyn Roh bringing home the No. 4-spot.
Along with Knudsen and Roh, the Waves' No. 2-pair Brittany Howard and Corinne Quiggle and No. 3-duo Skylar Caputo and Heidi Dyer earned No. 15 and No. 41-rankings respectively. The top-50 pairs from throughout the nation were ranked from their actions throughout the 2017 campaign. Nominations were sent in from coaches and athletic communication staffs for all five competing pairs at schools throughout the United States.
No. 1-pair, senior Knudsen (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) and sophomore Roh (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral HS) led the Waves in the top-spot throughout the season's 32 dual matches. They earned AVCA and Volleyball Magazine All-American honors after helping the team earn a spot in the NCAA National Championship match against top-ranked USC in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The duo amassed a 20-12 overall record and a 45-31 overall record by sets, while posting an even 10-10 record against nationally ranked opposition. Knudsen and Roh eaqrned DiG Player of the Week status in the awards premier week early in the season and were one of three Waves' pairs that competed in the USAV Collegiate Beach Pairs Championships in Hermosa Beach, Calif. The duo advanced through pool play with a perfect 3-0 record against opponents, before finishing the tournament with a round of 16 appearance. Knudsen, a senior, graduated in May. Roh will return next season as a junior.
Graduate student Howard (Los Altos, Calif./Mountain View HS/Stanford) and junior Quiggle (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) also garnered Volleyball Magazine All-American honors. The pair most recently won bronze at the USAV Collegiate Beach Pairs Championship and garnered both WCC Pair of the Month honors this season for the efforts in the No. 2 position. The two Waves garnered All-WCC first team honors and earned a spot in the NCAA All-Tournament team. Throughout the season, the duo posted a 28-3 overall dual record from the No. 2-slot. The pair went undefeated after five matches in the NCAA Championships, including four wins and one unfinished match-up. In the NCAA Championship match against top-ranked USC, Howard and Quiggle downed Sophie Bukovec and Allie Wheeler 21-18, 16-21, 15-13 to put the Waves up 2-1 in the match.
Sophomore duo Caputo (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) and Dyer (San Clemente, Calif./Saddleback Valley Christian HS) went 22-7 overall at the No. 3 position for the Waves. The pair earned All-WCC second team honors and a berth into the USAV Collegiate Beach Pairs Championships. In one notable match this season, Caputo and Dyer downed Victoria Paranagua and Macy Jerger 14-21, 22-20, 16-14 to extend the Waves' victory to 4-1 and hand the Seminoles their first-ever home loss.
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