The USC women's sand volleyball team of Kirby Burnham-Kelly Irvin posted a 2-1 mark in pool play at the pairs championship of the first AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championship on Friday (April 27) in Gulf Shores, Ala.

USC's other duo in the 16-team pairs competition---Sara Shaw-Geena Urango---went 1-2 on the day in pool play.

Burnham-Irvin (21-13), USC's No. 2 pairs team, defeated Alabama-Birmingham's Gallagher-Thomas, 21-8, 21-17, and Florida Atlantic's Pizzocheri-Tate, 21-14, 21-16, before falling to Pool D champion Racich-Ross of Pepperdine, 21-18, 21-17. Burnham-Irvin placed second in their pool

Shaw-Urango (18-16), USC's top pairs team and the tourney's fourth seed, sandwiched a win over North Florida's Medina-Strack, 21-12, 21-16, with losses to Hawaii's Hartong-Stoltzman, 21-16, 21-5, and Pool B champ Pardon-Stepanova of Florida State, 21-14, 21-17. Shaw-Urango were third in their pool.

Friday's pool play determined seedings into a Sunday (April 29) single elimination tournament that will crown a national championship pairs team.

Shaw-Urango will face Hawaii's Croson-Lee in the first round, while Burnham-Irvin will take on Florida Atlantic's Pizzocheri-Tate. Both matches begin at 8 a.m. CT.

2012 AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championship

Pairs Competition - Pool Play

Pool B

Hartong-Stoltzman (UH) def. Shaw-Urango (USC) 21-16, 21-15

Shaw-Urango (USC) def. Medina-Strack (UNF) 21-12, 21-16

Pardon-Stepanova (FSU) def. Shaw-Urango (USC) 21-14, 21-17

Pool D

Burnham-Irvin (USC) def. Gallagher-Thomas (UAB) 21-8, 21-17

Burnham-Irvin (USC) def. Pizzocheri-Tate (FAU) 21-14, 21-16

Racich-Ross (PEP) def. Burnham-Irvin (USC) 21-18, 21-17