CSULB Women's Sand Volleyball Team Wins Nationals

The Long Beach State women’s sand volleyball team had to come from 2-1 behind to win 3-2 over the Pepperdine Waves to capture the 2013 National Championship Saturday afternoon.  The win avenged last season’s loss to the Waves, who lost for the very first time in the two year existence of the sport.

The win gives the Beach its seventh national championship, this one in Gulf Shores, Ala. The men’s volleyball team has won one National championship, and the women’s team  five times.

The fourth time was the charm for Long Beach (19-3) as they were finally able to best the Waves this season. They took advantage of some misfortune to the waves (Pepperdine forfeited the first match because of injury to Jazmine Orozco).   Despite the forfeit, the Waves showed why they are the defending champions, winning  the second and third waves.

The duo of  Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Chelsea Cabrajac  took the first set  21-16 in the second flight, but Pepperdine’s duo of  Lara Dykstra and Caitlin Racich won the next two sets 21-15 and 15-9 to take the second flight to tie the score 1-1.  Kelli Larsen and Kellie Woolever then gave Pepperdine (21-1) the 2-1 lead with a 21-17, 21-18 win over Bre Mackie and Libby Fontanilla.

The Beach, however, wouldn’t go away as the duo of Lauren Minkel and Jocelyn Neely, outlasted Victoria Adelhel and Taylor Racich, 21-19, 9-21, 15-10 to tie the match 2-2.  The Beach’s undefeated duo of Tyler Jackson and Janisa Johnson remained undefeated as they outlasted the Waves’ duo of Emily Cook and Katie Messing in two very close sets, 21-19, 21-18.