HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. – Brook Bauer and Deahna Kraft of the #7 Pepperdine beach volleyball team, played one more tournament to cap the 2019 season, pairing up to compete and take Silver at the USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships this past weekend at Hermosa Beach Pier. 
 
Bauer and Kraft won through pool play as the #2 overall seed, taking a pair of wins before moving on to the single elimination bracket. 
 
In the title match, the Waves' duo went head-to-head with returning USA Collegiate Beach Champs Claire Coppola and Kristen Nuss, battling back from a 21-18 first set loss to the LSU pair to take the second 23-21.  In the final set, the two pairs went point-for-point throughout the early moments, but the Tigers eventually took a late edge to win the set 15-12 and overall championships dual 2-1. 
 
To get to the title match, the pair first upended Florida State's Brooke Kuhlman and Avery Poppinga with a three-set battle, taking the first set 21-12 and falling 23-25 in the second.  In the third set, the pair downed the opposition 15-12 to advance.  In the second round, the duo took on LBSU's Megan Kruidhof and Mariana Molina with a pair of 21-11 sets.
 
The semifinal match was against PCH Cup and West Coast Conference rival LMU pair Emma Doud and Savannah Slattery.  The Waves came back from a 21-17 first set, but rallied in the second 21-16 to force a third.  The Pepperdine pair then dominated the final set, winning 15-9 to head into the finals.
 
In pool play, the pair downed Florida State's Payton Caffrey and Morgan Chacon with a pair of 21-12 sets before also defeating Georgia State's Eden Hawes and Madelyn Delmonte 21-14, 21-12 to advance.
 
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