MALIBU, Calif. – The #17 Pepperdine beach volleyball team defeated North Florida, a team receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll, with a 4-1 result on day two of the Malibu Invite.
 
The Waves (4-2) showed out in the first flight against the Ospreys (5-4), as undefeated No. 2 pair Savannah Standage and Kate Clermont won in two to put the squad on the board.  After No. 4 duo Gracey Campbell and Gabriella Perez rallied to win in three and put Pepperdine in a position to clinch, the squad's top pair McKenna Thomas and Alexus McLeod would close things out with a dominant two-set win.
 
Standage and Clermont have gone 6-0 so far this season, while Campbell and Perez have amassed a 5-1 record in the No. 4 spot and McLeod and Thomas have gone 4-2 on court one. 
 
RESULTS
#17 Pepperdine def. North Florida, 4-1
No. 1: McKenna Thomas/Alexus McLeod (PEPP) def. Audrey Brooks/Iris Fletcher (UNF) – 21-16, 21-18
No. 2: Savannah Standage/Kate Clermont (PEPP) def. Michaela Rezentes/Katie Camp (UNF) – 21-17, 21-16
No. 3: Presley Murray/Madison Espy (UNF) def. Jasmin Suarez/Gracie Pedersen (PEPP) – 21-12, 21-14
No. 4: Gracey Campbell/Gabriella Perez (PEPP) def. Mariana Feliciano-Sanchez/Mackenzie Murphy (UNF) – 19-21, 21-15, 15-7
No. 5: Kristine Briede/Madison Oriskovich (PEPP) def. Chantel McMillan/Hayden Wooldridge (UNF) – 18-21, 25-23, 15-13
Exh. Aubrey Roberts/Mari Wright (PEPP) vs. Anna Mallory/Kelly McConekey (UNF) – 16-21, 21-13
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 3, 5
 
MATCH RECAPS
In the first flight, Savannah Standage and Kate Clermont made quick work of their opposition on court two, commanding a 21-17, 21-16 victory to set the tone.  Though Gracey Campbell and Gabriella Perez dropped their first set 21-19 in the No. 4 slot, the Waves rallied to win the next two sets by a solid 21-15, 15-7 result to put the home team in a position to clinch.  Pepperdine's No. 6 pair, Aubrey Roberts and Mari Wright split with their opponents 16-21, 21-13.
 
The next flight saw some close competitions on some courts, but McKenna Thomas and Alexus McLeod would clinch the dual early with a 21-16, 21-18 win in the top spot.  The Osprey's No. 3 pair would win in two to get on the board and put all eyes on court five with the final match in play.
 
Madison Oriskovich and Kristine Briede countered a 21-18 first set loss with a 25-23 second set win to force a third.  After going point-for-point through much of the set, the Waves took advantage after a 13-13 tied score to win 15-13.   
 
NEXT UP
Tomorrow, the Waves continue the Malibu Invite at the Pepperdine Beach Volleyball Courts, taking on UAB and San Francisco and 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.  North Florida and San Francisco will go head-to-head at 11 a.m. as well.
 
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