GULF SHORES, Ala. — Top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Southern California beat Florida State 3-1 Sunday to win its second consecutive NCAA women’s beach volleyball championship.
USC (37-1) made its fifth appearance in the NCAA championship and extended its winning streak to 36 _the second longest streak in program history. The Women of Troy won their fifth national title and back-to-back NCAA crowns for the second time (2016-17).
USC’s Hailey Harward and Tina Graudina beat Brook Bauer and Maddie Anderson 21-17 and 21-15 to take a 2-1 lead and, shortly thereafter, Julia Scoles and Delaynie Maple closed out Florida State’s Anna Long and Kate Privett 25-23, 21-12 to give Southern California the 3-1 win.
Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse beat Jordan Polo and Morgan Chacon 21-18, 21-16 to give USC the early lead but Florida State’s Alaina Chacon and Madison Fitzpatrick rallied — after facing match point twice in the second set –to beat Megan Kraft and Sammy Slater 14-21, 24-22, 17-15 to make it 1-1.
Florida State (33-11) has lost four straight against USC and is 5-17 all-time against the Women of Troy.