SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The #5 Pepperdine beach volleyball team was stunned twice in the double-elimination West Coast Conference Championship final, falling just short with a pair of 3-2 losses to PCH Cup rival #14 Loyola Marymount at Ocean Park Beach on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Waves won the first match of the day, 3-2, against the Lions before the opposition came back in the afternoon to take the first title Pepperdine hasn't won in the tournament's four-year existence.
 
RESULTS­
#5 PEPPERDINE 3, #14 LMU 2
APRIL 20 | WCC CHAMPIONSHIPS | ROUND TWO
OCEAN PARK BEACH | SANTA MONICA, CALIF.
1. Heidi Dyer/Brook Bauer (PEPP) def. Morgan Kendrick/Selbie Christensen (LMU) – 21-13, 21-14
2. Deahna Kraft/Gigi Hernandez (PEPP) def. Megan Nash/Reka Orsi Toth (LMU) – 18-21, 21-19, 15-13
3. Sara Kovac/Jessie Prichard (LMU) def. Alexis Filippone/Skylar Caputo (PEPP) – 24-26, 21-18, 27-25
4. Veronica Nederend/Emma Doud (LMU) def. Nikki Lyons/Maddie Dilfer (PEPP) – 21-19, 21-12
5. Simone Priebe/Katie Gavin (PEPP) def. Paige Panter/Erin Martin (LMU) – 15-21, 23-21, 15-11
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 2, 5*, 3
 
#5 PEPPERDINE 1, #14 LMU 3
APRIL 20 | WCC CHAMPIONSHIPS | CHAMPIONSHIP ONE
OCEAN PARK BEACH | SANTA MONICA, CALIF.
1. Heidi Dyer/Brook Bauer (PEPP) def. Savannah Slattery/Bo Culo (LMU) – 21-16, 21-17
2. Megan Nash/Reka Orsi Toth (LMU) def. Deahna Kraft/Gigi Hernandez (PEPP) – 21-12, 17-21, 11-15
3. Sara Kovac/Jessie Prichard (LMU) def. Alexis Filippone/Skylar Caputo (PEPP) – 21-19, 21-16
4. Veronica Nederend/Emma Doud (LMU) def. Nikki Lyons/Maddie Dilfer (PEPP) – 21-19, 21-19
5. Simone Priebe/Katie Gavin (PEPP) vs. Paige Panter/Erin Martin (LMU) – 21-13, 12-21, 10-9, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 4, 2*
 
#5 PEPPERDINE 2, #14 LMU 3
APRIL 20 | WCC CHAMPIONSHIPS | FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP
OCEAN PARK BEACH | SANTA MONICA, CALIF.
1. Heidi Dyer/Brook Bauer (PEPP) def. Savannah Slattery/Bo Culo (LMU) – 27-25, 21-12
2. Megan Nash/Reka Orsi Toth (LMU) def. Deahna Kraft/Gigi Hernandez (PEPP) – 21-18, 21-18
3. Sara Kovac/Jessie Prichard (LMU) def. Melanie Paul/Skylar Caputo (PEPP) – 21-11, 21-15
4. Veronica Nederend/Emma Doud (LMU) def. Nikki Lyons/Maddie Dilfer (PEPP) – 21-13, 17-21, 16-14
5. Simone Priebe/Katie Gavin (PEPP) def. Paige Panter/Erin Martin (LMU) – 21-17, 21-17
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 5, 1, 4*
 
MATCH RECAP
In the first match, the Lions came out strong, surprising the Waves with three first set wins.  Pepperdine countered with four second set wins to keep it exciting, though.  Heidi Dyer and Brook Bauer finished in two sets 21-13, 21-14 on court one over Morgan Kendrick and Selbie Christensen shortly after the Lions took a win on four to make it 1-1 overall. 
 
Deahna Kraft and Gigi Hernandez then bested Megan Nas and Reka Orsi Toth with an 18-21, 21-19 and 15-13 final line to put the Waves in a position to clinch. 
 
On court five, Simone Priebe and Katie Gavin then finished off the Waves' win after battling back from a 15-21 first set loss to win the second 23-21.  In the third, the duo won 15-11 to clinch the dual and send the Waves into the final.
 
In the second match, LMU once again came out ready for the upset, winning on three courts in the first sets to pull ahead early.  The Waves would hit the scoreboard first after Dyer and Bauer downed Savannah Slattery and Bo Culo 21-16, 21-17, but the Lions countered with wins on three, four and two in that order to clinch the dual and force a second championship final. 
 
In the final and true Championship match, LMU once again came out swinging intent on taking the title.  The Lions would put two points on the board with wins on court three and two, but Priebe and Gavin would answer with a pair of 21-17 wins over Panter and Martin to put the Waves on the board. 
 
Then Dyer and Bauer would down Slattery and Culo with a 27-25, 21-12 final mark to tie the match.  Shortly after though, Veronica Nederend and Emma Doud went head-to-head with Nikki Lyons and Maddie Dilfer.  The Waves came back from a 13-21 first set loss to win the second 21-17.  The pair took the Lions to 14-14 in the final set, but the opposition put the next two points down to make it a 3-2 win for LMU.
 
NEXT UP
Next, the Waves will await the NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament Selections which will air on Sunday, April 28.  
 
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