Beach volleyball readies for Senior Day


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Back atop the AVCA National Poll for the first time since early March, the beach volleyball team will now ride a 15-match winning streak into Merle Norman Stadium this Thursday when they host a crucial match-up against rival and No. 2-ranked Pepperdine for Senior Day at 4:30 p.m.

The Women of Troy reclaimed their status as the top team in the nation after a successful showing at the USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge last weekend, where they went 2-0 in dual matches and put six pairs on the medal podium for the pairs competition. The No. 1 ranking was previously held by Pepperdine (15-2) for five weeks, but USC (19-2) was able to knock them off on Saturday in come-from-behind fashion to take the 3-2 victory at Hermosa Beach.

Arguably the two best beach volleyball programs in the country since the introduction of the sport to the collegiate ranks in 2012, USC and Pepperdine have often produced close matches and exciting finishes. That meeting in Hermosa Beach would mark the sixth straight time that a USC-Pepperdine dual resulted in a 3-2 final score, as well as the fourth time that the teams met as No. 1 versus No. 2.

Thursday’s upcoming match marks the third time that the Women of Troy and the Waves will face off in 2016, and the second time in six days. Both teams split the previous meetings this season, although the Waves’ first win came on their home sand at Zuma Beach, while the second meeting had the Women of Troy win on a neutral court. USC will have the upper hand in this third meeting, as they play at Merle Norman Stadium for Senior Day.

Playing in their final regular season home game will be seniors Alexa Strange, Zoe Nightingale, and Emily Young. Strange, who transferred to USC in 2014 from Nebraska, has the most game-time experience of the three upperclassmen as the No. 2 pairing with junior Sophie Bukovec, while Nightingale plays at Court 5 with sophomore Jo Kremer. Young is partnered with freshman Becca Dunn and recently won the silver medal in the bronze bracket of the USAV Beach Collegiate pairs tournament.

Young has been a familiar face for many that follow USC’s volleyball programs, as she was a former team captain and four-year letterwinner indoors under head coach Mick Haley. Originally from Illinois, Young transitioned to the sand after completing her indoor career in the fall of 2014, while Nightingale comes to USC by way of crosstown rival UCLA. The Sacramento, California native arrived this season after completing her four-year career playing both indoor and sand in Westwood. With one year left of eligibility as a graduate transfer, Nightingale decided to suit up for the Women of Troy in hopes of helping the program make history as the first ever NCAA Beach Volleyball champions.

All three of USC’s seniors will be honored in pre-game festivities at 3:50 p.m. First serve against the Waves will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m.