LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Two more NCAA Division I foes came at Vanguard Beach Volleyball on Saturday as the Lions played Southern Mississippi and Long Beach State. The Blue and Gold were in the hunt against the Golden Eagles, but Southern Mississippi escaped with a 3-2 decision. VU then threw their best at LBSU but the #8 team in the country swept Vanguard across all five pairings. The Lions are now 8-7 on the season.
USM 3 VU 2
None of the flights went beyond a second set, but unfortunately, Vanguard did not get the final sweep to pry a victory away from the Golden Eagles.
Gianna Pecile and
Cassie Smits Van Oyen battled Jaden White and Carmen Sanc Delgado at the fours but dropped the contest 21-12 and 21-15. However, the Blue and Gold got on the scoresheet shortly after as
Logan Daniels and
Natalie Hill bested Wiio Meinheit and Kenzie Boyd at the fives 21-18 and 21-18.
As the top three pairings took to the courts, the twos wound up being the next flight to finish, with
Paige Cutwright and
Madison Arnold falling to Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda 21-11 and 21-18. Attention turned next to the top pairing and though
Emma Galloway and
Thea Snider came close in the first set against Zuzanna Michalska and Madison Cassidy (21-19), they could not overcome the Golden Eagles in the second, falling 21-13. That gave USM the match victory, but Vanguard closed out the engagement with a win, as
Katie Alexander and
Anne Mayfield topped Y-Nhu Do and Dylan Russell 23-21 and 21-14.
LBSU 5 VU 0
It was a valiant effort against Long Beach State by the Lions, but the Blue and Gold could not generate enough to nab a set victory. The closest set of the afternoon was Pecile and Smits Van Oyen pushing Tineke Hinton and Mahala Esser at the fours in the second frame, but the LBSU duo prevailed 21-19 after taking the first set 21-10. The finishing order was top to bottom, with Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah topping Snider and Galloway 21-7 and 21-9 to start the event. Julia Westby and Haley Carrington bested Cutwright and Arnold 21-11 and 21-11, Jaylen Jordan and Natalie Glenn edged out Alexander and Mayfield 21-12 and 21-13, and after the fours finished, Demi Wagdy and Megan Widener completed a 21-12, 21-13 decision over Daniels and Hill.
What's Next? The Lions return to Malibu and the Pepperdine courts but will face Hawaii Pacific and South Florida on March 22 at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
