Waves Finish Season with WCC Championship Final Appearance

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – It was a rollercoaster Championship day at Dockweiler Beach for the No. 2-seeded Pepperdine beach volleyball team on Saturday, ending with a West Coast Conference Championship Final appearance and runner-up finish to the 2021 season for the Waves.

After falling 4-1 to top-seeded PCH Cup rival LMU to open the day, the Waves (14-17) battled back to take down No. 3-seeded Saint Mary's 4-1 and earn an appearance in the program's fifth WCC Tournament final bout. This time facing LMU once again, though the Lions were able to collect the 3-0 advantage to win the title.

RESULTS
No. 1 LMU def. No. 2 Pepperdine, 4-1
1. Carly Skjodt/Melanie Paul (PEPP) def. Reka Orsi Toth/Selina Marolf (LMU): 21-19, 21-19
2. Megan Rice/Iya Lindahl (LMU) def. Brook Bauer/Alexis Filippone (PEPP): 21-16, 21-17
3. Jessie Prichard/Savannah Slattery (LMU) def. Sutton MacTavish/Simone Priebe (PEPP): 21-17, 22-20
4. Darby Dunn/Jacinda Ramirez (LMU) def. Mary Sinclair/Gracie Pedersen (PEPP): 21-14, 21-18
5. Emma Doud/Maddie Firnett (LMU) def. Katie Gavin/Kristine Briede (PEPP): 21-17, 21-9
Order of finish: 5, 1, 4, 3*, 2

No. 2 Pepperdine def. No. 3 Saint Mary's, 4-1
1. Carly Skjodt/Melanie Paul (PEPP) def. Chandler Cowell/Elena Baka (SMC): 21-15, 21-13
2. Crash Parker/Hawley Harrer (SMC) def. Brook Bauer/Alexis Filippone (PEPP): 21-19, 25-23
3. Sutton MacTavish/Simone Priebe (PEPP) def. Jasmin Suarez/Sienna Young (SMC): 21-9, 21-9
4. Mary Sinclair/Gracie Pedersen (PEPP) def. (SMC): 21-15, 16-21, 17-15
5. Katie Gavin/Kristine Briede (PEPP) def. Makenna Joyce/Selbie Christensen (SMC): 21-17, 21-10
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5*, 2, 4

No. 1 LMU def. No. 2 Pepperdine, 3-0
1. Reka Orsi Toth/Selina Marolf (LMU) vs. Carly Skjodt/Melanie Paul (PEPP): 18-21, 15-15, uf
2. Megan Rice/Iya Lindahl (LMU) def. Brook Bauer/Alexis Filippone (PEPP): 21-14, 21-18
3. Jessie Prichard/Savannah Slattery (LMU) vs. Sutton MacTavish/Simone Priebe (PEPP): 33-31, 8-8, uf
4. Darby Dunn/Jacinda Ramirez (LMU) def. Mary Sinclair/Gracie Pedersen (PEPP): 21-16, 21-19
5. Emma Doud/Maddie Firnett (LMU) def. Katie Gavin/Kristine Briede (PEPP): 21-19, 22-20
Order of finish: 5, 4, 2*

MATCH RECAPS
After winning a pair of duals the day prior to advance through the winner's bracket, the Waves went into the day without having dropped a match. Pepperdine went toe-to-toe with LMU to open things up, with Carly Skjodt and Melanie Paul collecting a pair of 21-19 sets over Reka Orsi Toth and Seline Marolf to highlight the match for Pepperdine, but LMU was able to secure wins on the other four courts to take a 4-1 overall win.

In a do-or-die second dual against No. 3 Saint Mary's, the Waves came out tough, seeing the first win from Sutton Mactavish and Simone Priebe on court three with two 21-9 set wins over Jasmin Suarez and Sienna Young to put Pepperdine on the board. Skjodt and Paul were close behind with a 21-15, 21-13 win over Chandler Cowell and Elena Baka on court one to put the Waves in a position to clinch.

Senior Katie Gavin and freshman Kristine Briede would do the honors on court five, downing Makenna Joyce and Selbie Christensen 21-17, 21-10 to clinch the overall win and earn the Waves an appearance in the Championship. Mary Sinclair and Gracie Pedersen closed out the dual with a 21-15, 16-21, 17-15 victory over Morgan Kendrick and Boo Laird on court four to make it 4-1.

In the final bout, LMU put a pair of wins on the board with wins on court four and five in the first flight. In the second flight, it was a battle on all courts, but the Lions clinched the title with a win on court two.

FOLLOW
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Players Mentioned

#3 Brook Bauer: 6' 1"; Senior; 3V

#15 Alexis Filippone: 6' 2"; Senior; 3V

#23 Katie Gavin: 5' 8"; Senior; 3V

#12 Sutton Mactavish: 6' 0"; Sophomore; 1V

#1 Melanie Paul: 5' 9"; Junior; 2V

#21 Simone Priebe: 5' 11"; Junior; 2V

#4 Mary Sinclair: 5' 11"; Sophomore; 1V

#11 Carly Skjodt: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; 1V

#22 Gracie Pedersen: 5' 11"; Freshman; HS

#32 Kristine Briede: 6' 0"; Freshman; HS

Players Mentioned

#3 Brook Bauer
: 6' 1"; Senior; 3V

#15 Alexis Filippone
: 6' 2"; Senior; 3V

#23 Katie Gavin
: 5' 8"; Senior; 3V

#12 Sutton Mactavish
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; 1V

#1 Melanie Paul
: 5' 9"; Junior; 2V

#21 Simone Priebe
: 5' 11"; Junior; 2V

#4 Mary Sinclair
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; 1V

#11 Carly Skjodt
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student; 1V

#22 Gracie Pedersen
: 5' 11"; Freshman; HS

#32 Kristine Briede
: 6' 0"; Freshman; HS