Inaugural Collegiate NCAA Sand Volleyball National Championship begin this Friday

Summer Ross, the freshman Pepperdine sand volleyball star who played indoors with Washington last fall, will be among the favorites to win the inaugural NCAA/AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship this weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Ross, of Carlsbad, CA, partners with effervescent junior Caitlin Racich of Santa Barbara.

Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann

There are actually two competitions. Four schools—Pepperdine, Florida State, Long Beach State and College of Charleston—will vie for Saturday’s team championship. It’s worth noting that Florida State’s indoor team reached the 2011 Final Four.

Notably absent from the team competition is USC, the only Pac-12 school to field a sand program this season. Both USC and Pepperdine defeated Long Beach State, but the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) selected the 49ers and not the Trojans.

Pepperdine went undefeated in dual competition this spring, and should be the strong favorite to win the team title.

The separate pairs competition features sixteen teams divided into four pools. On Friday, each pair plays the other three teams in their pool. The day's results will determine seeding for Sunday’s single-elimination tournament.

Ross and Racich will be hard to beat. On paper, they should reach the finals against Florida State’s formidable Brittany Tiegs and Aurora Newgard. But Ross and Rachich sometimes find their toughest competition comes from fellow Pepperdine teammates Lilla Frederick and Kim Hill.

 

Although USC was not selected for the team competition, it’s top two pairs teams did earn an invitation. Sara Shaw and Geena Urango have the talent to reach the finals.

Sand Volleyball is in its first season as an NCAA demonstration sport. The team and pairs winners will not be NCAA champions, but will win titles sponsored by AVCA. Demonstration sports cannot be considered for NCAA championship honors unless at least 40 schools participate in the sport.

CBS Sports is taping the competition for broadcast June 6 & 13.

Team Championship:

1. Pepperdine

2. Florida State

3. Long Beach State

4. College of Charleston

Pairs Championship:

Pool 1

Newgard/Tiegs - Florida State University

Croson/Lee - University of Hawai'i

Hampton/Fontanilla - Long Beach State University

Shelton/Kolich - College of Charleston

Pool 2

Racich/Ross - Pepperdine

Burnham/Irvin - University of Southern California

Tate/Pizzoccheri - Florida Atlantic University

Gallagher/Thomas - UAB

Pool 3

Ledoux/Roenicke - Long Beach State University

Frederick/Hill - Pepperdine

Chubb/Theesfeld - College of Charleston

Melville/Bassett - Stetson University

Pool 4

Urango/Shaw - University of Southern California

Pardon/Stepanova - Florida State University

Stoltzman/Hartong - University of Hawai'i

Medina/Strack - University of North Florida

see also:

NCAA Sand Volleyball Off to a Strange Start
Summer Ross and Sand Volleyball Partner Win Big vs. USC