Beach Volleyball Picks Up Two Wins on First Day of Wheeler Beach Bash

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina beach volleyball team swept both matches on the opening day of the Wheeler Beach Bash. The Gamecocks (4-2) defeated Austin Peay 5-0 and Texas A&M Corpus-Christi 4-1.

The Gamecocks grabbed first-set victories on all six courts. Evie Ziffer and Julia Waugh dominated court one with a 21-14 first-frame win. The duo would go on to take the court 21-14, 21-15. Juju Quintero and Annalyse Askew picked up another win for the Gamecocks from the fourth position, claiming their court 21-17, 21-11.

In the second wave, VB Trost and Grace Travis took control of court three, notching a dominating 21-14, 21-3 win. Leading duo Brooke Balue and Rachel Hartmann secured the Gamecocks fourth point of the day with a 21-12, 21-18 victory.

Quintero and Askew kicked off the second match with a 21-17 first-set win. The duo nailed down the Gamecocks’ first point as they rounded out the second frame 21-10. The number two pair of Ziffer and Waugh dropped their match on court 1, 21-19, 21-16. The Gamecocks weren’t done fighting as they pushed all three courts in the second wave to three sets. Cranford and Yamagata fought back from dropping the second frame to take the point after claiming the third set, 15-7. Balue and Hartmann battled back from a second-set loss to pick up the point, taking the final frame 15-13. The duo of Trost and Travis sealed the deal of the Gamecocks taking their court 15-21, 21-18, 15-9.

South Carolina 5, Austin Peay 0

1. Brooke Balue/Rachel Hartmann (USC) def. Izzy Russel/Grace Austin (APU) 21-14, 21-18
2. Evie Ziffer/Julia Waugh (USC) def. Jordyn Beneteau/Alyson Cooper (APU) 21-14, 21-15
3. Jolie Cranford/Peyton Yamagata (USC) def. Bailey Hope/Ashley Boswell (APU) 21-8,
4. Juju Quintero/Annalyse Askew (USC) def. Aubriegh Oswal/Addi Hulquist (APU) 21-17, 21-11
5. VB Trost/Grace Travis (USC) def. Cami Missig/Emma Loiars (APU) 21-14, 21-3
6. Amelia Taft/Morgan Downs (USC) def. Emily Freel/Sage Raby (APU) 21-7, 21-10

South Carolina 4, Texas A&M Corpus-Christi 1 

1. Brooke Balue/Rachel Hartmann (USC) def. Kristin Bobay/Madison Morrow (TAMUCC) 21-17, 19-21, 15-13
2. Duda de Melo/Millie Olsen (TAMUCC) def. Evie Ziffer/Julia Waugh (USC) 21-19, 21-16
3. Jolie Cranford/Peyton Yamagata (USC) vs. Emily Wood/Lizzie Denyer (TAMUCC) 21-9, 17-21, 15-7
4. Juju Quintero/Annalyse Askew (USC) def. Mia Stevens/Ashlyn Rough (TAMUCC) 21-17, 21-12
5. VB Trost/Grace Travis (USC) vs. Avery Nowak/Saskia Hernandez (TAMUCC) 15-21, 21-18, 15-9
6. Lauren Lawson/Sadie Nelson (USC) vs. Kaitreanne Chojnacki/Judah Davis (TAMUCC) 23-25, 21-14, 4-2 unf.