March 22, 2013

LOS ANGELES - The No. 4-ranked USC women's sand volleyball team swept No. 5 Hawaii, 5-0, and then outlasted No. 9 Nebraska, 3-2, while Hawaii also got by Nebraska by a 3-2 score, in dual match play on Friday (March 22) at USC's new on-campus Merle Norman Stadium.

USC improved to 9-2 overall, while Hawaii moved to 2-1 and first-year program Nebraska fell to 4-5.

USC opened the day's competition with a 5-0 sweep over Hawaii. Three Women of Troy duos posted 2-set sweeps: Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson defeated Natasha Bell-Jane Croson, 21-11, 21-15, at the No. 1 spot, Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary beat Ginger Long-Katie Spieler, 21-15, 21-14, at No. 2 and Brooke Fournier-Natasa Siljkovic beat Olivia Urban-Ku'ulei Zalopany, 21-16, 22-20, at No. 4. The Rainbow Wahines extended USC to 3 sets in the other 2 matches, as No. 3 Eve Ettinger-Bria Russ outlasted Ali Longo-Karlee Riggs, 20-22, 21-19, 15-8 and Sam Hirschmann-Alexa Stonish beat Tai Manu-Olevao-Emily Mount, 21-11, 17-21, 15-9.

The Women of Troy's day-ending dual against Nebraska was much tighter. USC posted sweeps at the No. 4 (Fournier-Siljkovic over Meghan Haggerty-Sheridan Zarda, 21-16, 21-17) and No. 5 (Hirschmann-Stonish over Kelsey Fien-Alicia Ostrander, 21-18, 21-12) positions during the first round of play. But the Cornhuskers began the second round of the dual with a win at No. 3 (Amber Rolfzen-Hayley Thramer over Ettinger-Russ, 19-21, 21-16, 15-7) and pushed USC's top team to 3 sets before falling as Burnham-Robinson defeated Kelsey Robinson-Alexa Strange, 16-21, 21-18, 19-17. In the dual's final match, the No. 2 Cornhusker duo of Morgan Broekhuis-Kadie Rolfzen beat Fuller-Sary, 32-30, 14-21, 15-9.

In the day's middle dual, Hawaii needed a victory at the No. 3 spot (Longo-Riggs over Amber Rolfzen-Thramer, 21-18, 21-16) to clinch its victory over Nebraska. The Rainbow Wahines got early wins at No. 4 (Ashley Kastl-Manu-Olevao over Haggerty-Zarda, 21-10, 21-10) and No. 5 (Urban-Zalopany over Fien-Ostrander, 21-15, 21-16), but Nebraska countered with a victory at No. 2 (Broekhuis-Kadie Rolfzen over Long-Spieler, 21-15, 21-14) to tighten the team competition before Longo-Riggs' clinching win. The match concluded as Robinson-Strange beat Bell-Croson, 21-13, 21-16, at the No. 1 spot.

USC next hosts No. 1 Pepperdine on Tuesday (March 26) at 5 p.m. at Merle Norman Stadium before traveling to No. 2 Long Beach State on Thursday (March 28) for a 1 p.m. contest.

USC 5, Hawaii 0
1.) Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson (USC) def. Natasha Bell-Jane Croson (HAW) 21-11, 21-15
2.) Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary (USC) def. Ginger Long-Katie Spieler (HAW) 21-15, 21-14
3.) Eve Ettinger-Bria Russ (USC) def. Ali Longo-Karlee Riggs (HAW) 20-22, 21-19, 15-8
4.) Brooke Fournier-Natasa Siljkovic (USC) def. Olivia Urban-Ku'ulei Zalopany (HAW) 21-16, 22-20
5.) Sam Hirschmann-Alexa Stonish (USC) def. Tai Manu-Olevao-Emily Mount (HAW) 21-11, 17-21, 15-9
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3

Hawaii 3, Nebraska 2
1.) Kelsey Robinson-Alexa Strange (NEB) def. Natasha Bell-Jane Croson (HAW) 21-13, 21-16
2.) Morgan Broekhuis-Kadie Rolfzen (NEB) def. Ginger Long-Katie Spieler (HAW) 21-14, 21-16
3.) Ali Longo-Karlee Riggs (HAW) def. Amber Rolfzen-Hayley Thramer (NEB) 21-18, 21-16
4.) Ashley Kastl-Tai Manu-Olevao (HAW) def. Meghan Haggerty-Sheridan Zarda (NEB) 21-10, 21-10
5.) Olivia Urban-Ku'ulei Zalopany (HAW) def. Kelsey Fien-Alicia Ostrander (NEB) 21-15, 21-16
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 3, 1

USC 3, Nebraska 2
1.) Kirby Burnham-Stevi Robinson (USC) def. Kelsey Robinson-Alexa Strange (NEB) 16-21, 21-18, 19-17
2.) Morgan Broekhuis-Kadie Rolfzen (NEB) def. Katie Fuller-Cinnamon Sary (USC) 32-30, 14-21, 15-9
3.) Amber Rolfzen-Hayley Thramer (NEB) def. Eve Ettinger-Bria Russ (USC) 19-21, 21-16, 15-7
4.) Brooke Fournier-Natasa Siljkovic (USC) def. Meghan Haggerty-Sheridan Zarda (NEB) 21-16, 21-17
5.) Sam Hirschmann-Alexa Stonish (USC) def. Kelsey Fien-Alicia Ostrander (NEB) 21-18, 21-12
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 2

Non-Scoring Exhibition:
6.) Kati Duddridge-Sydney Seau (USC) def. Christine Irvin-Erica Muller (USC) 22-20, 21-13
6.) Christine Irvin-Erica Muller (USC) def. Cecilia Hall-Kadie Rolfzen (NEB) 24-22, 18-21, 15-9
6.) Cecilia Hall-Amber Rolfzen (NEB) def. Kati Duddridge-Sydney Seau (USC) 21-19, 21-19