Summer Ross and Pepperdine capture Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championship

Summer Ross—indoor player for Washington turned sand player for Pepperdine—showed why she elected to take her game (and her college scholarship) to the beach.

With partner Caitlin Racich, Ross overcame an extraordinary run by two underrated athletes from Long Beach State, Caitlin Ledoux and Tara Roenicke, to win the inaugural collegiate sand volleyball pairs championship. Sunday’s pairs title came one day after Pepperdine defeated Florida State to win the team title in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Pepperdine's Kim Hill, Lilla Frederick, Summer Ross and Catilin Racich
-photo courtesy Pepperdine Athletics

Most observers expected Sunday’s pairs final would feature Ross and Racich against Florida State’s Aurora Newgard and Brittany Tiegs. But the Seminoles’ exceptional duo was upset in the quarterfinals by Ledoux and Roenicke, 21-17, 21-16.

Also in the quarters, Ross/Racich continued their season-long domination over USC’s top pair, Geena Urango and Sara Shaw, defeating the Trojans 21-19, 21-8.

In the semis, Ledoux/Roenicke pulled another upset, knocking off FSU’s #2 pair, Jekaterina Stepanova and Jace Pardon, 21-19, 17-21, 15-8. Meanwhile, Ross/Racich had to get past their Pepperdine teammates Kim Hill (of Portland) and Lilla Frederick. According to the Pepperdine Athletics website, organizers had—rather unfairly—decided to cross over the semifinal matchups, to prevent an all-Pepperdine final. Ross/Racich prevailed 21-9, 21-17.

But the finals did not disappoint. Long Beach State forced a third and deciding set, and held three championship points at 14-11. But Racich served five consecutive points, including a match-winning ace, to give the Pepperdine pair the title.

Pepperdine's sand volleyball athletes celebrate Saturday's national team championship
-photo courtesy Pepperdine Athletics

The championship was sponsored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA.) Sand volleyball is in its first season as an NCAA demonstration sport, which means that schools can offer sand scholarships, but an NCAA title is not awarded unless and until at least 40 schools participate. 16 schools fielded teams this season.

Most players on most of the 16 teams also played indoor volleyball, including USC, the Pac-12's only entry (Stanford will field a sand volleyball team next season.) Players on indoor scholarships may also play sand, but it doesn’t work the other way around. Both Ross and Racich are on sand scholarships, so neither will play for Pepperdine’s indoor team this fall.

Edited replays of the sand championships will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network in two parts, June 6 and June 13.

see also:

Pepperdine, Florida State dominate sand volleyball pairschampionship prelims

Inaugural collegiate NCAA sand volleyball nationalchampionship begins this Friday

Summer Ross and sand volleyball partner win big vs. USC