MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine beach volleyball (11-7) stays on campus for two days of action in the ASICS Classic. Friday begins with a battle of waves against (RV) the Tulane Green Wave (11-7). Team 15 then rematches against Vanguard (6-6) to conclude the first day. Pepperdine will face cross-town rival No. 8 Loyola Marymount (12-5) Saturday morning, with another test against Concordia (7-7) closing out the weekend.
The Waves play at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the first day, with the times of the second doubleheader set for 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
"It's a great weekend to be a Wave," said head coach Marcio Sicoli. "We're set up to officially be considered a top-20 team in the country. Come and watch our team compete during the Waves Block Party!"
The Waves and Tulane have split their two all-time matchups. Pepperdine swept the inaugural match-up in 2013 before the Green Wave returned the favor 11 years later.
Vanguard has been swept by the blue and orange in all six of their matchups. The two schools played one another in the season opener, a Waves sweep.
The history between the Lions and Waves is a tale of two streaks. Pepperdine began the series by taking 11 straight before LMU started a 20 game win streak of their own. The Waves last prevailed over their conference foe in 2019, 3-2.
Pepperdine sports nine wins and two losses all-time against the Golden Eagles. Both squads met in the Queen's Cup Tournament earlier this month, with the Waves taking the match 4-1.
The Live Stat links for each Waves game are below:
DUAL 1: Pepperdine vs. Tulane | Friday, March 20 | 10 a.m.
DUAL 2: Pepperdine vs. Vanguard | Friday, March 20 | 2 p.m.
DUAL 3: Pepperdine vs. Loyola Marymount | Saturday, March 21 | 9 a.m.
DUAL 4: Pepperdine vs. Concordia | Saturday, March 21 | 3 p.m.
There will be three neutral games over the weekend:
NEUTRAL 1: Tulane vs. Vanguard | Friday, March 20 | 12 p.m.
NEUTRAL 2: Loyola Marymount vs. Tulane | Saturday, March 21 | 11 a.m.
NEUTRAL 3: Concordia vs. Tulane | Saturday, March 21 | 1 p.m.
DJ Romar will be making appearances on both days of the ASICS Classic. Saturday the beach volleyball courts will be the first stop on the Waves Block Party. The full flyer here includes more details about the multi-event day full of free food, prizes, and sports.
The Waves faced Hope International and Cal State Bakersfield twice last weekend, collecting four total victories at the Malibu Invite. The Royals were swept in both of their duels, while the Roadrunners fell to the Waves 4-1 twice. Pairs Emma Eden and Michaela Cyrani, Gabbie Perez and Maddy Snow, and Emma Bubelis with Deanie Woodruff were all undefeated over the weekend. Each match saw these pairs win in straight sets. Snow and Perez have now won ten in a row.
The team ends the month in the West Coast Challenge, hosted at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. They will face Portland and Santa Clara March 27, with their Saturday opponent to be determined.
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.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine beach volleyball, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineBVB.
