March 17, 2013

LOS ANGELES - The USC duo of Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson defeated UCLA's Meg Norton-Kelly Reeves, 21-16, 21-19, to win the pairs championship in a 16-team women's sand volleyball tournament on Sunday (March 17) at USC's new on-campus Merle Norman Stadium.

In the third place match, USC's Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary swept UCLA's Zoe Nightingale-Becca Strehlow, 21-17, 21-18.

Teams from Loyola Marymount joined Trojan and Bruin squads in the single elimination tournament.

En route to the title, Burnham-Robinson opened with a 21-8, 21-12 first round win over USC's Kati Duddridge-Sam Hirschmann, then beat UCLA's Megan Moenoa-Bojana Todorovic, 21-16, 21-13, in the quarterfinals and Nightingale-Strehlow, 21-12, 21-9, in the semifinals.

Fuller-Sary fell to Norton-Reeves in the semis, 21-17, 21-16.

USC (5-2), ranked third nationally, now makes its first road trip of 2013 when it goes to Moraga to face first-year programs Pacific on Tuesday (March 19) and host St. Mary's on Wednesday (March 20) for a pair of 3:30 p.m. dual matches. The Women of Troy then return to Merle Norman Stadium on Friday (March 22) and welcome No. 5 Hawaii and No. 9 Nebraska, also a new program, for team dual match competitions. USC will play Hawaii at 9 a.m., then the Rainbow Wahines will meet the Cornhuskers at 11 a.m., followed by USC versus Nebraska at 1 p.m.

First Round (16)

Meg Norton-Kelly Reeves (UCLA1) def. Ashley Maxfeldt-Anne Marie Taylor (LMU5) 21-13, 21-9
Felicia Arriola-Litara Keil (LMU1) def. Sydney Seau-Alexa Stonish (USC5) 16-21, 21-17, 15-7
Zoe Nightingale-Becca Strehlow (UCLA2) def. Amber Mirabello-Hannah Tedrow (LMU3) 21-8, 18-21, 15-8
Brooke Fournier-Natasa Siljkovic (USC4) def. Avery Bush-Kenna Crouse (LMU2) 21-5, 21-9
Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary (USC2) def. Rachel Inouye-Maddy Klineman (UCLA5) 21-15, 21-11
Megan Moenoa-Bojana Todorovic (UCLA3) def. Taylor Scioscia-Rachelle Suaava (LMU4) 21-19, 21-19
Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson (USC1) def. Kati Duddridge-Sam Hirschmann (USC6) 21-8, 21-12
Eve Ettinger-Bria Russ (USC3) def. Karly Drolson-Karsta Lowe (UCLA4) 21-19, 21-13

Quarterfinals
Zoe Nightingale-Becca Strehlow (UCLA2) def. Brooke Fournier-Natasa Siljkovic (USC4) 19-21, 24-22, 15-12
Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson (USC1) def. Megan Moenoa-Bojana Todorovic (UCLA3) 21-16, 21-13
Meg Norton-Kelly Reeves (UCLA1) def. Eve Ettinger-Bria Russ (USC3) 21-23, 22-20, 19-17
Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary (USC2) def. Felicia Arriola-Litara Keil (LMU1) 23-21, 21-12

Semifinals
Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson (USC1) def. Zoe Nightingale-Becca Strehlow (UCLA2) 21-12, 21-9
Meg Norton-Kelly Reeves (UCLA1) def. Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary (USC2) 21-17, 21-16

Third Place Match
Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary (USC2) def. Zoe Nightingale-Becca Strehlow (UCLA2) 21-17, 21-18

Championship Match
Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson (USC1) def. Meg Norton-Kelly Reeves (UCLA1) 21-16, 21-19