SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The #16 Pepperdine beach volleyball team reached the program's sixth-consecutive West Coast Conference Championship final on Saturday afternoon, but were eventually felled by top-seeded PCH Cup rival and #5-ranked LMU 3-0 to end the day.
 
After dropping the opening match of the second day of the tournament 5-0 to LMU, the Waves rallied to defeat Santa Clara 3-0 to advance to the Final, though the Lions proved too strong and came away with the crown.
 
Pepperdine is now 22-11 after the tournament and will turn to the NCAA Selection Show at 6 p.m. PT tonight, April 30 on NCAA.com for the potential for future competition this season.
 
RESULTS
#5 LMU def. #16 Pepperdine, 5-0
1. Reka Orsi Toth/Megan Rice (LMU) def. Melanie Paul/Madison Shields (PEPP) – 18-21, 21-12, 18-16
2. Avery Poppinga/Marine Kinna (LMU) def. Simone Priebe/McKenna Thomas (PEPP) – 21-16, 21-10
3. Valma Prihiti/Macy Gordon (LMU) def. Peyton Lewis/Juju Quintero (PEPP) – 21-19, 21-17
4. Selina Marolf/Abbey Thorup (LMU) def. Mary Sinclair/Kate Clermont (PEPP) – 21-16, 21-7
5. Jacinda Ramirez/Isabelle Reffel (LMU) def. Rio Frohoff/Savana Greene (PEPP) – 21-17, 21-18
Order of finish: 4, 2, 5*, 3, 1
 
#16 Pepperdine def. Santa Clara, 3-0
1. Melanie Paul/Madison Shields (PEPP) def. Julia Sangiacomo/Michelle Shaffer (SCU) – 21-19, 21-12
2. Simone Priebe/McKenna Thomas (PEPP) def. Elena Radeff/Alexie Epstein (SCU) – 21-11, 21-15
3. Peyton Lewis/Juju Quintero (PEPP) def. Alexa Inman/Claire Doud (SCU) – 21-13, 22-20
4. Mary Sinclair/Kate Clermont (PEPP) vs. Sophia Tulino/Casey Campbell (SCU) – 19-21, 21-19, 10-6, unfinished
5. Rio Frohoff/Savana Greene (PEPP) vs. Jordan Bennett/Alexia Gallegos (SCU) – 15-21, 21-14, unfinished
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3*
 
#5 LMU def. #16 Pepperdine, 3-0
1. Reka Orsi Toth/Megan Rice (LMU) def. Melanie Paul/Madison Shields (PEPP) – 21-16, 21-10
2. Simone Priebe/McKenna Thomas (PEPP) vs. Avery Poppinga/Marine Kinna (LMU) – 21-15, 18-15, unfinished
3. Peyton Lewis/Juju Quintero (PEPP) vs. Valma Prihiti/Macy Gordon (LMU) – 16-21, 12-14, unfinished
4. Selina Marolf/Abbey Thorup (LMU) def. Mary Sinclair/Kate Clermont (PEPP) – 21-15, 21-18
5. Jacinda Ramirez/Isabelle Reffel (LMU) def. Rio Frohoff/Savana Greene (PEPP) – 21-18, 21-11
Order of finish: 5, 4, 1*
 
MATCH RECAPS
The Waves faced off with the Lions to open the day, falling behind with a pair of two-set losses on courts four and two to put the opposition in a position to clinch.  LMU would accomplish that on court five with another two-set win to clinch the overall. 
 
Though the Waves on one forced a third set and fought tough, the Lions would come away with the 5-0 win to advance through the winner's bracket.
 
Pepperdine would have to play another match prior to the final, however, facing Santa Clara next.  The Waves quickly worked ahead with first-set wins on the top-three courts.  Simone Priebe and McKenna Thomas picked up the first Waves' dual point with a 21-11, 21-15 win in the No. 2 position.  Melanie Paul and Madison Shields were close behind for the second overall point with a 21-19, 21-12 win in the No. 1 slot.
 
The matches on courts four and five would move to a third set, but Peyton Lewis and Juju Quintero closed things up with a two-set 21-13, 22-20 win in the No. 3 position to clinch the dual and stop the match, putting the Waves in their sixth-consecutive WCC Championship final.
 
Pepperdine faced off with LMU once again in staggered format, falling behind with a pair of two-set losses on courts four and five. 
 
Though the Waves were giving it their all on courts one, two and three, the opposition on court one had the upper hand and clinched the championship with a two-set win to close the tournament.
 
NEXT UP
At 6 p.m. PT tonight, the NCAA Selection Show will air on NCAA.com and the Waves postseason fate will be decided then.

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