Columbia, S.C. – The #15 Pepperdine beach volleyball team closed out the final day of the Gamecock Grand Slam, a tournament hosted by South Carolina, with a split pair of duals on Saturday.  The Waves were felled in the early dual by #5 LSU, 4-1, before defeating Mercer 4-1 to end the tournament.
 
Pepperdine went 2-2 throughout the tournament and the squad's 2022 record is currently 7-2 overall.  The Waves will return to Malibu for the first home duals of the season on Thursday, March 17.
 
RESULTS
#5 LSU def. #15 Pepperdine, 4-1
1. Melanie Paul/Madison Shields (PEPP) def. Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope/Bella Bauman (LSU) – 23-21, 21-14
2. Parker Bracken/Kylie Deberg (LSU) def. Simone Priebe/McKenna Thomas (PEPP) – 21-19, 22-20
3. Reilly Allred/Holly Carlton (LSU) def. Peyton Lewis/Juju Quintero (PEPP) – 21-16, 19-21, 15-10
4. Kelli Greene-Agnew/Grace Seits (LSU) def. Cameron Baklenko/Rio Frohoff (PEPP) – 21-11, 21-19
5. Sierra Caffo/Ellie Shank (LSU) def. Jordan Benoit/Kate Clermont (PEPP) – 21-12, 21-18
Exh. Mary Sinclair/Savana Greene (PEPP) def. Allison Coens/Lara Boos (LSU) – 21-17, 21-16
Order of finish: 5, 4, 1, 2*, 3
 
#15 Pepperdine def. Mercer, 4-1
1. Melanie Paul/Madison Shields (PEPP) def. Lexi Polychones/Olivia Boeve (MU) – 21-14, 21-12
2. Simone Priebe/McKenna Thomas (PEPP) def. Sydney Benson/Nicole O'Mara (MU) – 21-10, 19-21, 15-6
3. Jordan Paddock/Reese Hood (MU) def. Peyton Lewis /Juju Quintero (PEPP) – 18-21, 21-13, 15-7
4. Cameron Baklenko/Rio Frohoff (PEPP) def. Hana Robertson/Kathryn Corbett (MU) – 21-6, 21-11
5. Jordan Benoit/Kate Clermont (PEPP) def. Emily Earwood/Jordan Morris (MU) – 21-8, 21-12
Exh. Mary Sinclair/Savana Greene (PEPP) def. Elena Sanfrey/Gracen Bohling (MU) – 21-4, 21-7
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1*, 3, 2
 
MATCH RECAPS
Amidst a windy atmosphere in Colmbia, the Waves hit the sands against the Tigers.  It would be LSU to strike first in the opening flight, collecting a pair of two-set wins on courts four and five, though Mary Sinclair and Savana Greene dominated Lara Boos and Allison Coens on the exhibition court to set the tone for some well-fought action in the second flight.
 
After some tight opening battles in the flight, Melanie Paul and Madison Shields defeated Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope and Bella Bauman 23-21, 21-14 in the No. 1 position to put the Waves on the board.  It was a close battle in the No. 2 position, but the Tigers took the victory to clinch the overall match.  On the final court in action, the No. 3 position, Juju Quintero and Peyton Lewis split the opening sets 16-21, 21-19, but were eventually felled in the third 15-10 to make it 4-1 overall.
 
The squad came out firing in the second dual of the day and the first flight for the Waves set the standard.  Cameron Baklenko and Rio Frohoff defeated Hana Robertson and Kathryn Corbett in the No. 4 position, 21-6, 21-11, to start things off.  Jordan Benoit and Kate Clermont then made quick work of Emily Earwood and Jordan Morris with a 21-8, 21-12 victory on court five.  Sinclair and Greene also dominated their opposition on the exhibition court 21-4, 21-7 to close the flight.
 
In the second flight, the Waves won first sets on all three courts, but it would be Shields and Paul to clinch the overall victory with a 21-14, 21-12 win on court one over Lexi Polychones and Olivia Boeve.  Though the Waves on court three lost in three, Simone Priebe and McKenna Thomas finished the dual out with a 21-10, 19-21,15-6 win in the No. 2 position against Sydney Benson and Nicole O'Mara.
 
NEXT UP
Next week, the Waves will play the first home duals of the season in Malibu, with Long Beach State and Southern Mississippi coming to town on March 17 and Concordia and CSU Bakersfield closing out the week on March 19. 

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