SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Pepperdine women's golf team's quest for a national title will continue as the Waves qualified for match play after an eighth-place finish in stroke play at the NCAA Championships on Monday. 
 
The Waves, ranked #16 by Golfstat and seeded 13^th in the tournament, finished in eighth after shooting a four-day total of 1,160 (295-279-296-290) at the par-72 Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club.  They finished three shots clear of ninth place. 
 
Pepperdine was one of only three non-Power Five conference schools to compete in the fourth round today and the only one to qualify for match play tomorrow.  In the quarterfinals tomorrow morning, Pepperdine will be paired with top-ranked and top-seeded Stanford, who finished on top after shooting 19-under throughout four rounds of stroke play.
 
The Waves have reached the NCAA finals 13 times and this will be the first time they have advanced to match play, as the NCAA began match play format in 2015.  The Waves best-ever NCAA Tournament finish was second in 2003 when the tournament was still stroke play format.
 
PLAYER SCORES

• Junior Lion Higo (Gold Coast, Australia) finished stroke play tied for 21^st with a 287 (75-69-73-70).  She amassed 16 birdies and an eagle through four rounds, including five in the fourth round.  She had three birdies on the back nine, including two in her final four flawless holes, impressing with a long putt on nine to cement the Waves qualification into match play.
• Freshman Jeneath Wong (Melbourne, Australia) tied for 41^st with a 291 (74-71-73-73).  She posted 10 birdies during stroke play, including three today, marking two in her final nine holes.
• Senior Reese Guzman (Kahului, Hawai'i) finished the fourth round tied for 41^st with a 291 (72-73-73-73) as well.  She amassed 10 birdies, including three in the final round.  She also impressed on her final ninth hole with a long putt to put the Waves in a good position on the hunt for match play. 
• Junior Kaleiya Romero (San Jose, Calif.) finished stroke play tied for 58^th with a 296 (77-68-77-74).  She totaled 13 birdies, including four in the final round on the fourth, seventh, 17^th and 18^th holes.
• Sophomore Lauren Gomez (Murrieta, Calif.) ended stroke play in 73^rd with a 305 (74-71-78-82) after four rounds.  She tabbed 10 birdies, including one in the final round today.

QUOTABLE
Pepperdine Coach Laurie Gibbs said: "At first, I was a little concerned with the format change and how much golf would need to be played. We had finished in the top-five, including a 2nd place finish a few times playing 72 holes, which at the time seemed to be enough to crown a champion. But now in retrospect, so many exciting things have happened with teams in situations like ours, so the format change is awesome and allows teams in the top 8 to have a chance to win a national title. 
 
"It means a lot to our program, that a mid-major team can go out and compete with the big Power Five conferences and compete for a National Championship.
 
"The players are excited – we played Stanford at Silicon Valley and they're a very talented team. Rose is an amazing player and they are led by a great coach – but our players went out and tied them. We weren't intimidated and just competed. With match play, we just need three wins and we absolutely have the players that can go out and do that.
 
"To come this far, what we've done this season, it's incredible. It has been an amazing year and we've all just enjoyed it. Our goal for the tournament has been to make it to match play, because something special can happen there. The players went out and grinded today and it has been so fun to watch. They're playing for each other and it's really special and exciting."
 
UP NEXT
The Waves and Cardinal will square off in their quarterfinal beginning at 7:10 a.m. on Tuesday on the first tee.  The winner will move on to face either #4 South Carolina or #9 Southern California in the semifinals, which are scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday. 
 
In the other half of the bracket, #11 Texas faces #6 Texas A&M and #2 Wake Forest meets #10 Florida State.
 
Golf Channel will have live coverage of the quarterfinals from 9-11:30 a.m. and of the semifinals from 2-6 p.m.
 
THE NUMBERS
Team Scores (8 advancing teams): 1. Stanford 1,133; 2. Texas 1,138; 3. Wake Forest 1,139; 4. South Carolina 1,154; 5. Southern California 1,154; 6. Florida State 1,155; 7. Texas A&M 1,156; 8. Pepperdine 1,160.
 
Team Scores (8 non-advancing teams): T9. New Mexico 1,163; T9. Arizona 1,163; T11. SMU 1,164; T11. Oklahoma State 1,164; 13. Mississippi State 1,165; T14. Georgia 1,167; T14. LSU 1,167.
 
Individual Leaders: 1. Rose Zhang (Stanford) 278; T2. Lucia Lopez-Ortega (SJSU) 279; T2. Catherine Park (USC) 279; 4. Maddison Hinson-Tolcahrd (Oklahoma State) 280; T5. Michelle Zhang (SMU) 281; T5. Ingrid Lindblad (LSU) 281; T7. Lauren Walsh (Wake Forest) 282; T7. Carlotte Heath (Florida State) 282; T7. Pimmada Wongthanavimok (Arizona) 282; T10. 3 players tied.