GULF SHORES, Alabama — Twin sisters Nicole and Audrey Nourse won the deciding match for the second straight season and top-ranked USC won its fourth straight beach volleyball championship with a 3-0 sweep of No. 2 UCLA , on Sunday.
It was the first championship, since the NCAA recognized the sport in 2016, in which all five matches ended in a third game.
USC (37-5) has won six of eight championships, the last four under head coach Dain Blanton. UCLA (35-7) won the other two titles, in 2018 and 2019.
USC jumped out to a 2-0 lead Sunday behind its No. 2 and No. 4 pairings.
The two Madison White and Maddi Kriz lost the first game 14-21 to UCLA's Peri Brennan and Devon Newberry before rallying for 21-19 and 15-13 wins in the next two.
Grace Seits and freshman Ashley Pater of the Trojans lost the opener 24-26 to Jaden Whitmarsh and Tessa Van Winkle of the Bruins. Seits and Pater trailed 8-4 in the second game, but rallied to win 25-23 before dominating the third 15-8. Seits and Pater won their last five games and finished 12-1 as a pair this season.
The Nourse sisters defeated UCLA trio Jessie Smith and Kenzie Brower 22-20 to open their match. Smith and Brower responded with a 21-15 victory to tie the match at one game each. The third was tied 9-9 before Nicole Nourse's serve and her block at the net concluded a 15-11 victory and the 2024 title.
USC senior Megan Kraft, a three-time AVCA first-team All-American, and two-time first-team All-American Delaynie Maple posted a 21-16 victory over the Bruins' Maggie Boyd and Lexy Denaburg in the opener of the. Boyd and Denaburg led by four in the second game before the Trojans pulled within 18-17. UCLA scored the final three points, capped by Boyd's service ace to force a third game. Kraft and Maple held an 8-4 lead in the final game before the result became moot.
UCLA's No. 5 pairing of Natalie Myszkowski and Ensley Alden opened with a 21-17 victory over USC's Mabyn Thomas and Madison Goellner. The Trojans cruised to a 23-21 victory to force a deciding game. USC was up 4-2 when the game was called.
USC beat UCLA 3-2 in the championship game last season.
USC began its streak with a 3-1 victory over UCLA for the 2021 title. The Trojans followed up with a 3-1 victory over Florida State. The event did not take place in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Anna Collier led USC to its first two titles: a 3-0 sweep of Florida State in 2016 and a 3-2 victory over Pepperdine the following season.
The Trojans advanced to the finals this season with a 3-0 victory over No. 5 Cal Poly in the semifinals. The Bruins advanced to the title game with a 3-1 victory over No. 11 LSU.
