LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Vanguard beach volleyball took on a pair of NCAA top-15 foes on Friday afternoon at Rosie's Dog Beach, putting up a respectable battle against No. 10 Stanford and No. 12 Long Beach State.
The Lions lost both matches by 5-0 scores, but competed at several flights and nearly won a handful of sets.
Vanguard finished the regular season 14-4 overall. The Lions enter next week's Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament on a three-game skid, but will be the No. 1 seed after finishing the conference schedule 12-0.
Stanford 5, Vanguard 0
VU fell at all five positions but nearly extended the match to three sets at a couple of spots.
Madi Nash and Emilee Hall hung with Emmy Sharp and Daria Gusarova, challenging the Cardinal duo before ultimately succumbing 21-15, 21-18 at the threes.
The Lions also battled at the fours, as Bailey Coffin and Madison Arnold stayed with Asha Johnson and Camdyn Doucet, falling by scores of 21-13, 21-19.
VU's No. 1 pair of Conley Harris and Morgan Nash fell 21-10, 21-14 to Xolani Hodel and Maddi Kriz.
Long Beach State 5, Vanguard 0
The Lions picked up their play especially in the second set in a hard fought match against The Beach.
At the fives, Chloe Knudson and Ana Broadhead came close to winning a set, but fell just short in a 21-9, 21-19 loss to Kate Stoughton and Savannah Lyons.
Nash and Hall took their second opponent of the day to the brink, but were defeated by LBSU's Megan Widener and Natalie Glenn at the threes. The Beach pair won 21-12, 21-19.
Emma Galloway and Hannah Wilmes gave their all at the twos, losing 21-16, 21-11 to Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah.
What's Next?: The top-seeded Lions face No. 4 seed Hope International at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5 in the opening match of the double elimination GSAC Tournament at the Brookhurst and PCH courts in Huntington Beach. The Lions will then meet either No. 2 seed OUAZ or No. 3 seed The Master's at 2:00 p.m.
