MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine beach volleyball (7-7) will twice face Hope International (6-5) and Cal State Bakersfield (3-8) this week at the Malibu Invite. On both Friday and Saturday the Waves will match up with the Royals at 10 a.m. and Roadrunners at 2 p.m.
"We look forward to this weekend to test our team tactically," said head coach Marcio Sicoli. "It will be awesome to put our tactical changes and adjustment in motion while playing the same opponents back-to-back."
Pepperdine and Hope International have a recent history dating back to just the 2024 season. Each year the two schools have met they have faced each other twice, with Pepperdine holding a commanding 4-0 advantage and never having surrendered a point to the Royals.
The Waves are 9-1 all-time against Cal State Bakersfield. The Roadrunners dropped nine straight in the series before notching their first victory (3-2) last season.
Fans at home can stay up to date with the Live Stat links below:
DUAL 1: Pepperdine vs. Hope International | Friday, March 13 | 10 a.m.
DUAL 2: Pepperdine vs. Cal State Bakersfield | Friday, March 13 | 2 p.m.
DUAL 3: Pepperdine vs. Hope International | Saturday, March 14 | 10 a.m.
DUAL 4: Pepperdine vs. Cal State Bakersfield | Saturday, March 14 | 2 p.m.
Hope International and Cal State Bakersfield will also square up against each other in neutral matches.
NEUTRAL 1: Cal State Bakersfield vs. Hope International | Friday, March 13 | 12 p.m.
NEUTRAL 2: Cal State Bakersfield vs. Hope International | Saturday, March 14 | 12 p.m.
Kona Ice will be available for fans in the parking lot outside of the courts for Friday's contests. Spectators are encouraged to adequately prepare for what should be a warm weekend. Shade is not readily available at the venue, but a water cooler will be provided.
Last week the Waves played six matches over three days at the Hawai'i-hosted Queen's Cup. The team went 5-1 on Queen's Beach with Madison Snow and Gabbie Perez earning the tournament's Most Outstanding Pair award. The two picked up wins against UNC Wilmington, San Jose State, Concordia, St. Mary's, No. 12 Hawai'i, and Chaminade en route to an undefeated showing. The Waves as a whole only faltered against the Rainbow Wahine, falling 3-2. They defeated their opposition by sweep twice and won 4-1 three times.
The Waves remain in Malibu next weekend for the ASICS Classic (Mar. 20-21). They will face (RV) Tulane and No. 9 LMU while rematching against Concordia and Vanguard.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Established in 2011, Pepperdine beach volleyball quickly rose to national prominence, winning two national championships in three years (2012, 2014) while reaching the final four in five of its first six seasons. Joining the WCC ahead of the 2016 season with the sport becoming NCAA-sanctioned, the Waves won the inaugural and first three WCC Championships while reaching eight straight conference championship games from 2016-24. The program has consistently recruited top talent in the sport, with 21 student-athletes garnering All-American honors since 2012.
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To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine beach volleyball, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineBVB.
