May 9, 2021 02:16 pm
GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) Sammy Slater dropped in a service ace to clinch the deciding match for USC and seal its 3-1 win over UCLA in the beach volleyball duals national championship on Sunday.
USC (30-4) won its third NCAA beach volleyball title in its fourth championship appearance. The Trojans lost back-to-back duals against UCLA (32-5) in the Pac-12 Tournament the first of which snapped USC’s 12-match win streak on May 1.
The Bruins had won the previous two national titles in 2018 and 2019.
Slater, an AVCA all-America selection, and Julia Scoles a graduate transfer from Hawaii clinched the title with a 26-24, 21-15 win over UCLA’s Lea Monkhouse and Devon Newberry which culminated with Slater’s ace.