No. 3 USC Beach Volleyball Set to Co-Host Battle For Los Angeles - USC Athletics (2024)

The Trojans welcome in No. 9 Long Beach State, No. 14 Grand Canyon, No. 18 Cal Poly, and Concordia for duals at Merle Norman Stadium

John McGillen

Women's Beach Volleyball | February 28, 2024

LOS ANGELES –The No. 3-ranked USC beach volleyball team (4-2) plays its first home duals of the spring as co-hosts of the Battle For Los Angeles. The Trojans welcome in No. 9 Long Beach State (2-0), Concordia (3-0), No. 18 Cal Poly (4-0), and No. 14 Grand Canyon (4-0) for duals on Merle Norman Stadium sand on Friday and Saturday (March 1-2).

THIS WEEK
BATTLE FOR LOS ANGELES
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles, Calif.

MATCH #5 • Friday, March 1 • 10 a.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. No. 9 Long Beach State (2-0)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 15-5 (.750)
STREAK: Won 14 • LAST 10: 10-0
LAST MEETING: W 3-2 (Apr. 15, 2023 • San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: LongBeachState.com

MATCH #6 • Friday, March 1 • 12 p.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. Concordia (3-0)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 3-0 (1.000)
STREAK: Won 3 • LAST 10: 3-0
LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (Mar. 12, 2023 • MNS)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: CUIGoldenEagles.com

MATCH #7 • Saturday, March 2 • 10 a.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. No. 18 Cal Poly (4-0)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 8-0 (1.000)
STREAK: Won 8 • LAST 10: 8-0
LAST MEETING: W 5-0 (Mar. 12, 2023 • MNS)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPoly.com

MATCH #8 • Saturday, March 2 • 12 p.m. PT
No. 3 USC (4-2) vs. No. 14 Grand Canyon (4-0)
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 10-1 (.909)
STREAK: Won 3 • LAST 10: 9-1
LAST MEETING: W 3-2 (Feb. 24, 2023 • MNS)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GCULopes.com

BARE E-SAND-SHELLS• TL;DR

• USC has won the last three NCAA championships and owns six national titles including the first NCAA crown in 2016 (AVCA '15, NCAA '17, '21, '22, '23).
• The Trojans have won four Pac-12 championships (2016, '17, '19, '22).
• USC is 109-17 (.865) under fifth-year head coach Dain Blanton.
• The Trojans are ranked No. 3 in the AVCA (No. 2, CBVB). It is the 102nd time (of 102) USC is ranked by the AVCA; its 101st time among the top 5. The Trojans have also held the No. 1 spot a record 43 times.
• USC is 83-11 (.883) all-time on Merle Norman sand and is on an active 18-dual win streak at its home courts. The school record home win streak is 19 (2014-16). The Trojans were 11-0 at home in 2023. USC is 11-1 in home openers and took its only loss in 2018 (2-3, vs. UCLA).
• The Trojans' four opponents enter the weekend a combined 13-0.
• Twin graduates Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse rank second among pairs in school history with 95 total wins. The sisters have played 113 matches together, which also ranks second in program history. Last week, the sister-duo went ahead of Nicolette Martin and Allie Wheeler (91 wins, 2014-16).
• The Trojans' senior All-Americans Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple are 33-4 all-time and have lost a total of only 10 sets in their 37 matches together.
• USC has celebrated 15 AVCA All-Americans (30 certificates).

LAST TIME OUT:The Women of Troy visited the Hawaiian Islands for the first time since 2018 and fought through six duals, each against top-10 opponents. The Trojans earned wins over No. 2 UCLA, twice over No. 5 Loyola Marymount, and once against No. 9 Hawai'i, host of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic. In a close second dual, USC was defeated for the first time in 14 meetings with seventh-ranked Stanford. The Trojans got a 4-1 over LMU in the semifinals but were felled by the Bruins in the gold medal dual.

ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS:Four Trojans are near crossing the 100-career win plateau in the next weeks.Delaynie MapleandNicole Nourseare each at 98 victories and can both become the 12th and 13th players in program history to record 100 individual wins.Audrey Noursehas 96-career wins andMegan Krafthas 95. The last two Women of Troy to reach the 100-win club were All-AmericansTina Graudina(122 wins) andSammy Slater(118 wins), both in 2022.

THE CHAMP IS HERE:USC is the three-time defending NCAA champion ('21, '22, '23). The Trojans captured the program's fifth NCAA title and sixth national crown in 2023. USC won the final AVCA championship in 2015 and owns the first two NCAA titles (2016, '17). The Women of Troy have also claimed four of the seven Pac-12 championships (2016, '17, '19, '22).