CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Pepperdine beach volleyball (16-10) heads east for two days of doubleheaders at Water's Edge Park in Corpus Christi. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is hosting the event.
The Waves begin the Islanders Classic tomorrow against Louisiana Monroe (5-14) at 10 a.m. PST and Cal State Bakersfield (7-16) at 1 p.m. PST.
Saturday will see Team 15 start against Tarleton State (5-13) at 6 a.m. PST and wrap up play against host Texas A&M-CC (13-8) at 8 a.m. PST.
"We welcome the wind in Texas," said head coach Marcio Sicoli. "In Malibu we have the Santa Ana winds that we train in every day. The Waves will be ready."
Sicoli is referencing the gulfshore gusts anticipated to near 20 miles per hour both Friday and Saturday.
Fans at home can follow along with Live Stat links available for each game.
DUAL 1: Pepperdine vs. Louisiana Monroe | Friday, April 3 | 10 a.m. PST
DUAL 2: Pepperdine vs. Cal State Bakersfield | Friday, April 3 | 1 p.m. PST
DUAL 3: Pepperdine vs. Tarleton State | Saturday, April 4 | 6 a.m. PST
DUAL 4: Pepperdine vs. Texas A&M-CC | Saturday, April 4 | 8 a.m. PST
Last weekend the Waves earned second place at the West Coast Challenge in Santa Cruz. After picking up dominant wins against Portland and Santa Clara on the first day, the team advanced to the golden bracket on day two. They defeated Saint Mary's 4-1 in the semifinals before falling to Loyola Marymount in the championship.
At the tournament a line-up change was necessitated due to injury. Bella Avelar stepped into a starting role and without blinking played a pair of admirable sets against the eighth-ranked Lions.
Pepperdine has played and swept the ULM Warhawks twice in its history. The last match-up came in 2022.
Cal State Bakersfield and the Waves have already met a pair of times this season. Pepperdine defeated the Roadrunners 4-1 in each contest this March. The all-time series is 11-1, advantage orange and blue.
Saturday will provide the Waves with their inaugural meetings against Tarleton State and Texas A&M-CC. Historically, they will be the fourth and fifth Lone Star State schools that Pepperdine has faced (previously TCU, UTEP, and Houston Baptist/Christian).
The duel against the Islanders will mark Team 15's first appearance on ESPN+. Subscribers can watch the action here.
With under a month to go, the second pairing of Gabbie Perez and Maddy Snow currently hold the squad's season highmark at 19-6. Narrowly trailing are Michaela Cyrani and Emma Eden who sport an 18-8 mark from the first flight. Faces from outside the typical line-up who have made appearances include Julia Caruolo, Alexa Markley, Kenzi McSpadden, and Nicole Thorp (all in the fifth flight).
Next weekend the Waves play their final home matches for the season. Alumni will be celebrated on Friday and the team's seniors on Saturday. Pepperdine twice faces San Francisco and rematches against Vanguard and Concordia.
