Beach Volleyball Finishes Third in WCC Tournament; Falls to LMU and Santa Clara

Friday, April 24

Santa Monica, Calif.

9:45 a.m. PT

Pepperdine University

Loyola Marymount

Beach Volleyball Finishes Third in WCC Tournament; Falls to LMU and Santa Clara

4/24/2026 5:53:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – No. 2 Pepperdine beach volleyball (26-16) advanced to the West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament semifinals twice, but were sent to the losers bracket by No. 1 Loyola Marymount (29-10) then eliminated by No. 4 Santa Clara (23-17).

The Waves fell to the Lions, 3-0, and Broncos, 3-1.

"This was a tough way to go out," head coach Marcio Sicoli said. "We will be back, we will learn, and we will improve. I know this loss will give our returners fuel all summer long. It is important that our graduating class does not let today's results mar their memories at Pepperdine. They have meant so much to the team and the culture, and I cannot wait to see what they accomplish in their personal and professional careers. It has been a pleasure to watch their growth from the time I first met them."

Pepperdine 0, Loyola Marymount 3
The third meeting between the Waves and LMU yielded similar results as the first two. Lion flights four, three, and five raced out to speedy straight set wins to end the competition. On day two of the WCC Tournament no duels continue after one team clinches, leaving flights one and two unfinished. At the time of stoppage Emma Eden and Michaela Cyrani led 17-11 in the second rally, while Maddy Snow and Gabbie Perez trailed 20-10.

1. T. Rosenthal/A. Pelloia (LMU) vs. E. Eden/M. Cyrani (PEPP) 21-18, DNF
2. C. Hooker/I. Piret (LMU) vs. M. Snow/G. Perez (PEPP) 21-19, DNF
3. J. Brach/M. Rabtisch (LMU) def. A. Jagielska/S. Mancuso (PEPP) 21-15, 21-17
4. M. Kruczek/J. Schaekel (LMU) def. G. Merlini/E. Erickson (PEPP) 21-11, 21-11
5. K. McAlister/E. Davis (LMU) def. E. Bubelis/D. Woodruff (PEPP) 21-16, 21-13

Order of finish: 4, 3, 5*

Pepperdine 1, Santa Clara 3
With their morning result the Waves were knocked into the losers' bracket, albeit with a bye. Pepperdine awaited the winner of Saint Mary's-Santa Clara to see who they would face for another attempt at a spot in the championship. The Broncos broke their stalemate with the Gaels and ultimately emerged victorious, 3-1, to set up a date against the orange and blue.

For the second year in a row the Broncos eliminated Pepperdine in the losers' semifinals. Although Eden and Cyrani put the Waves on the board first, 21-14 and 21-10, onlookers could not help notice an upset brewing. SCU had rapidly earned convincing first set rallies on every other court. On the precipice of a first set loss, Santa Clara's fourth flight mounted a four-point comeback and did not look back. The fours evened the overall score before their teammates on court three and two simultaneously defeated the Waves and clinched their spot in the final.

Emma Bubelis and Deanie Woodruff threatened to force a tie-breaker before the referee's whistle put an anticlimactic stop to their cause. They mirrored their opponent's score, 18-18, in the second.

1. E. Eden/M. Cyrani (PEPP) def. S. Snipes/S. Wood (SCU) 21-14, 21-10
2. A. Cukjati/T. Wilson (SCU) def. M. Snow/G. Perez (SCU) 21-18, 21-17
3. A. Balsdon/N. Niederman (SCU) def. A. Jagielska/S. Mancuso (PEPP) 21-18, 21-17
4. C. Cantlen/A. Urbina (SCU) def. G. Merlini/E. Erickson (PEPP) 22-20, 21-17
5. T. Parouse/A. Stoddard (SCU) vs. E. Bubelis/D. Woodruff (PEPP) 21-16, DNF

Order of finish: 1, 4, 3, 2*

Maddy Snow and Gabbie Perez were the team's win leaders this season, racking up a mark of 28-13. Emma Eden and Michaela Cyrani follow, each with a 26-14 record. Emi Erickson, Ginevra Merlini, Alice Jagielska, and Sonia Mancuso all tied for third, each going 25-17. Emma Bubelis was the seventh Wave to break the 20-win threshold, tallying a statistic of 22-17. Deanie Woodruff went an even 16-16, while Avelar, who filled in during her absence, got to a 9-2 standing. In limited starts Evie Doezema went 3-1, while Nicole Thorp, Kenzi McSpadden, Alexa Markley, and Julia Caruolo all won in their sole appearances.

Team 16 will regroup and retool as they look to compete in an ever-expanding conference. Pepperdine is projected to lose three of their ten starters to graduation, but their six rising-sophomores position them well for continued success. Additionally, their two indoor transfers gained valuable experience on the sand heading into next year.

LMU went on to defeat the Broncos in the championship, 3-1. They earned the WCC's automatic qualifier in the NCAA Tournament, which begins May 1. The full bracket will be announced this Sunday.

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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