Pepperdine Beach Volleyball Splits at Battle 4 L.A., Faces UCLA and Long Beach State

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Pepperdine beach volleyball (2-4) opened the Battle 4 L.A. With a sweep of CSUN (0-3) before falling to No. 4 USC (6-2) in a 5-0 decision on Friday. The Waves will continue the tournament on Saturday with matches against No. 11 Long Beach State and No. 2 UCLA.

Waves Sweep CSUN

Pepperdine started the day strong, securing a victory over CSUN in all five flights, including several matches that went to a decisive third set. Emma Eden and Michaela Cyrani dominated in the first flight, winning their sets 21-13 and 21-9. Maddy Snow and Gabriella Perez battled to a 19-17 win in the second flight after splitting the first two sets (16-21, 21-12).

The complete results of the Pepperdine vs. CSUN dual are as follows:

• 1s: Eden/Cyrani (21, 21) vs. Heflin/Miles (13, 9)
• 2s: Snow/Perez (16, 21, 19) vs. Mendiola/Hall (21, 12, 17)
• 3s: Jagielska/Mancuso (24, 19, 15) vs. Rodig/Henderson (22, 21, 10)
• 4s: Merlini/Erickson (21, 21) vs. Coggins/Halbert (16, 15)
• 5s: Bubelis/Woodruff (21, 19, 15) vs. Constable/Rogers (12, 21, 11)

USC Proves Too Strong

Later in the afternoon, Pepperdine faced a tough challenge against the fourth-ranked Trojans. USC secured a 5-0 sweep on their home courts. Emi Erickson and Ginevra Merlini provided a strong showing in the fourth flight, taking the match to three sets. Their first set was particularly competitive, featuring a remarkable 50 rallies before Pepperdine emerged victorious.

The results from the Pepperdine vs. No. 4 USC dual are:

• 1s: Eden/Cyrani (16, 20) vs. Henson/Wood (21, 22)
• 2s: Snow/Perez (15, 17) vs. Pater/Coakley (21, 21)
• 3s: Jagielska/Mancuso (13, 15) vs. Embry/Stephens (21, 21)
• 4s: Merlini/Erickson (26, 13, 6) vs. Keefe/Truslow (24, 21, 15)
• 5s: Bubelis/Woodruff (9, 22) vs. Zaengle/Kok (21, 24)

Looking Ahead: Doubleheader on Saturday

The Battle 4 L.A. Continues for Pepperdine on Saturday, February 28, with a doubleheader against No. 11 Long Beach State at 12 p.m. And No. 2 UCLA at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played on the UCLA campus.

About Pepperdine Beach Volleyball

Pepperdine beach volleyball has a rich history, having won two national championships in 2012 and 2014. The program has consistently been a contender, reaching the final four in five of its first six seasons and winning the first three West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships after the sport became NCAA-sanctioned. Since 2012, 21 Pepperdine student-athletes have earned All-American honors.

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