2017 Schedule and ReSultS2-0 Overall

0-0 Home • 1-0 Away • 1-0 NeutralAVCA Poll: No. 1 • DiG Magazine Poll: No. 1

March 4 vs. No. 3 UCLA 1 (FloVolley) W 3-2 at No. 4 Pepperdine 1 (FloVolley) W 4-110 International Exhibition 11 a.m.11 vs. No. 12 Florida International 2 10:30 a.m. vs. No. 10 Louisiana State 2 12:30 p.m.16 vs. Nebraska 10 a.m. HT vs. Florida State 12 p.m. HT17 vs. Nebraska 3 11:30 a.m. HT vs. Utah 3 3:15 p.m. HT18 vs. Arizona 3 9:15 a.m. HT vs. Florida State 3 11:45 a.m. HT vs. Hawai’i 3 4:45 p.m. HT22 Loyola Marymount 12 p.m. Pairs Tournament vs. LMU 2 p.m.25 vs. Florida State 4 11 a.m. ET at South Carolina 4 (SEC+) 5 p.m. ET26 vs. Stetson 4 9 a.m. ET vs. Georgia State 4 11 a.m. ET28 California (P12N/LA/BA) 4 p.m. Pairs Tournament vs. California 6 p.m.

april 1 vs. San Francisco 5 9 a.m. Pairs Tournament vs. Saint Mary’s 5 12:20 p.m.2 vs. Saint Mary’s College 6 9:30 a.m. vs. San Jose State 6 12 p.m.7 Washington 4 p.m. Arizona State 6 p.m.8 vs. Loyola Marymount # 9 a.m. vs. Arizona State # 11:45 a.m. vs. Saint Mary’s College # 3:30 p.m.14 Aloha Invitational & TBA15 Aloha Invitational & (ESPN) TBA18 at Stanford (P12N/LA/BA) 3:30 p.m.20 Bakersfieldvs.LongBeachState 12p.m. LongBeachState(P12N/LA) 2p.m. Bakersfield(P12N/LA) 4p.m.22 UCLA vs. Cal Poly 11 a.m. Cal Poly 1 p.m. UCLA [Senior Day] 3 p.m.27 Pac-12 Championship * (P12N) 9 a.m.28 Pac-12 Championship * (P12N) 9 a.m.29 Pac-12 Pairs Championship * 9 a.m.

May 5-8 NCAA Championship ^ TBD11-13 USAV Collegiate Pairs Championship 7 TBDAll times PST unless otherwise notedBoldindicates home match at Merle Norman Stadium1 Pepperdine Kick-Off • Zuma Beach • Malibu, Calif.2 East Meets West Invitational • Manhattan Beach, Calif.3 Outrigger Hawai’i Invitational • Queen’s Beach • Honolulu4 Gamecock Grand Slam • Wheeler Beach • Columbia, S.C.5 San Francisco Invitational • Main Beach • Santa Cruz, Calif.6 Monterey Invitational II • Del Monte Beach • Monterey, Calif.# USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge • Manhattan Beach, Calif.& Aloha Invitational • Kalapaki Beach • Kauai, Hawai’i* Pac-12 Championships • Sand VB Courts • Tucson, Ariz.^ NCAA Championship • Gulf Shores Beach • Gulf Shores, Ala.7 USAV Collegiate Pairs Championship • Manhattan Beach, Calif.

PaiRing dual OvR. all-time StReak

No. 1 :: Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes 2-0 2-0 94-3 W75

No. 2 :: Sophie Bukovec/Allie Wheeler 1-1 1-1 1-1 W1

No. 3 :: Terese Cannon/Nicolette Martin 1-1 1-1 1-1 L1

No. 4 :: Abril Bustamante/Joy Dennis 1-1 1-1 1-1 W1

No. 5 :: Jenna Belton/Jo Kremer 2-0 2-0 2-0 W2

anticiPated uSc lineuP

BaRe e-Sand-ShellS• USC is the two-time defending national champion and won the

first-ever NCAA title in the sport in 2016 (AVCA, 2015).• The Women of Troy are on an active program-record 32-match

winning streak that dates back to March 11, 2016 (64 of last 66).• The Trojans are the defending Pac-12 Champions.• Sixth-year head coach Anna Collier was the 2014 AVCA National

Coach of the Year and has a 110-17 overall record with USC. She is the first and only collegiate beach volleyball coach to reach 100 career victories.

• Seniors Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes dropped just one set in 2016 and finished 48-0. The duo is on an active 75-match winning streak dating back to April 2, 2015. They are the winningest pair in USC history with 94 all-time victories (3 losses).

• Only four teams have ever beaten the Trojans in a dual: Pepperdine (8), Long Beach State (5), Florida State (3), and Hawai’i (1).

match #3No.1USC(2-0)vs.No.12FloridaInternational(5-1)East Meets West InvitationalManhattan Beach Pier • Manhattan Beach, Calif.Saturday, March 11 • 10:30 a.m. PTSeries History: USC leads, 1-0 (1.000)Last Meeting: W, 5-0 (April 2, 2016 • Miami, Fla.)Opponent Web: FIUSports.com

match #4No. 1 USC (2-0) vs. No. 10 Louisiana State (1-2)East Meets West InvitationalManhattan Beach Pier • Manhattan Beach, Calif.Saturday, March 11 • 12:30 p.m. PTSeries History: First meetingLast Meeting: First meetingOpponent Web: LSUSports.net

No.1TrojansSetforCatFightswithPanthersandTigers

2016NCAAChampions•2015AVCAChampions•Three-timeAVCAPairsChampions:2013,2014,20152016Pac-12Champions•2014AVCANationalCoachoftheYearAnnaCollier•6AVCAAll-Americans

University of Southern California Sports Information • 3501 Watt Way • HER103 • Los Angeles, Calif. • (213) 740-8480 • Fax: (213) 740-7584AssistantDirector: Jeremy Wu • Office:(213) 740-3807 • Cell: (213) 379-3977 • E-mail: jjw@usc.edu

For release: March 8, 2017

2 0 1 7 u S c B e a c h v O l l e y B a l l

LOS ANGELES – The top-ranked USC beach volleyball team (2-0) carries a record 32-match winning streak into a pair of contests this weekend at the East Meets West Invitational hosted by UCLA at the Manhattan Beach Pier. The Trojans take on No. 12 Florida International (5-1) at 10:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, March 11, and then face No. 10 Louisiana State (1-2) in a 12:30 p.m.

The Women of Troy will meet their fourth straight ranked opponent to open the season. USC started the year off with wins over then No. 3-ranked UCLA (3-2) and No. 4 Pepperdine (4-1). The Trojans’ streak as it stands is the 12th longest among program records from USC’s 21 varsity sports. In all, the Women of Troy have won 64 of their last 66 dual matches dating to the beginning of 2015. Sixth-year head coach Anna Collier is the only collegiate head coach with more than 100 wins and is 110-17 overall.

2017 USC BeaCh VolleyBall • Two-Time NaTioNal ChampioNS

## NAME HEIGHT YEAR HOMETOWN(PREVIOUSSCHOOL)3 Kelly Claes 6-2 Sr. Fullerton, Calif. (El Dorado HS) 5 Sophie Bukovec 6-1 Sr. Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Bishop Allen Academy/LBSU) 10 Abril Bustamante 6-0 So. Redondo Beach, Calif. (Redondo Union HS) 11 Joy Dennis 6-0 Fr. Cypress, Calif. (Keystone Academy) 12 Allie Wheeler 5-11 Sr. Saratoga, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty HS) 13 Lainy Thomas 5-10 Fr. Frisco, Texas (Frisco HS) 14 Sara Hughes 5-10 Sr. Costa Mesa, Calif. (Mater Dei HS) 15 Becca Dunn 5-11 So. San Clemente, Calif. (San Clemente HS) 20 Katrina Kernochan 5-9 So. Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Mira Costa HS) 24 Cammie Dorn 6-0 Fr. Laguna Beach, Calif. (Laguna Beach HS) 25 Jo Kremer 5-8 Jr. Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Harvard-Westlake HS/Notre Dame) 30 Brianna Sizemore 6-0 Jr. Carlsbad, Calif. (Carlsbad HS/Point Loma Nazarene Univ.) 31 Jenna Belton 6-1 Jr. Aptos, Calif. (Aptos HS) 35 Nicolette Martin 5-9 Sr. Anaheim, Calif. (Canyon HS) 40 Avery Hazelrigg 5-7 Fr. Newport Beach, Calif. (Mira Costa HS) 41 Terese Cannon 6-3 Jr. Pittsford, N.Y. (Our Lady of Mercy HS/Georgetown)

HeadCoach Anna Collier (6th year), USC ‘77AssistantCoach Ali Wood Lamberson (2nd year), UC Irvine ‘90VolunteerAssistantCoach Dain Blanton (3rd year), Pepperdine ‘94DirectorofOperations TBAAthleticTrainer Katie JohnsonStrength&ConditioningCoach Kelly Dormandy

2017 USC womeN of Troy

Bukovec ............................... BOO-co-veckBustamante ............... April, like the monthCannon ............................................ ter-EESClaes .................................................. CLAYSCollier .............................. AW-nuh CALL-yurHazelrigg .................................. HAY-zuhl-rigKernochan .............................. KER-nah-KINKremer ...................................... CREMM-errSizemore ................................ bree-AW-nuh

PROnunciatiOn guide

Anna Biller Collier, who coached women’s beach volleyball teams in two Olympic games, is in her sixth season as USC’s first-ever head coach of beach volleyball with a 110-17 (.866) overall record.

Collier led the Trojans to the first-ever NCAA championship in 2016. USC went 34-2 and finished with a 30-match winning streak to become the first back-to-back national champions in the history of the sport. In 2015, USC went undefeated (28-0) and won the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship. Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes brought the program a third consecutive AVCA pairs championship. In 2014, USC was 23-3 and made a second straight

national semifinal appearance. Kirby Burnham and Hughes won the AVCA pairs’ national title and Collier was named the 2014AVCANationalCoachoftheYear.

USC went 16-8 in 2013 and made its first-ever AVCA semifinals appearance in the team’s first selection to the national championship tourney. Burnham and Stevi Robinson won the pairs national title and became USC’s first-ever All-Americans in the sport. Collier took USC to a 7-4 record in 2012, the sport’s inaugural season as an NCAA emerging sport, and sent two USC teams to the pairs championship of the first AVCA pairs tourney.

She has led two U.S. teams to fifth-place Olympic finishes: Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno (1996 Atlanta Games) and Annette Davis and Jenny Johnson (2000 Sydney Games). Collier has coached beach volleyball since 1990, and has worked with standouts Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh, Nicole Branagh, Rachel Wacholder, and Angie Akers.

As head coach for the U.S. Senior A2 Beach National Team, she led teams to first and fifth place finishes at the 2012 World University Championships in Brazil. She coached U26 and U23 A2 U.S. squads at the 2010 Team FISU World University Championships in Turkey and coached the U26 U.S. squads at the 2011 championships in China. She served as coach of Team USA at the 2013 Summer World University Games in Russia.

On top of her duties, she is a USAV High Performance coach and a founding member of the USAV Beach Coaching Accreditation Program Cadre.

Collier played professionally on the beach for seven seasons between 1978 and 1989, and posted 10 Top 10 finishes among her 20 tournament appearances. At USC (as Anna Biller) she was on the track and field, volleyball, and swimming teams and was a two-time All-American in track as a member of the 800-meter (1975) and 400-meter (1977) relay teams. Collier earned a degree in physical education from USC in 1977.

uSc head cOach anna cOllieR

YEAR RECORD H A N2012 7-4 2-0 1-2 4-2 2013 16-8 7-3 2-2 7-3 2014 23-3 8-0 3-1 12-2 2015 28-0 10-0 5-0 13-0 2016 34-2 9-1 3-1 22-0 2017 2-0 0-0 1-0 1-0 TOTAL 110-17 36-4 15-6 59-7

cOllieR’S caReeR RecORd

ALMAMATER§USC, 1977 (Physical Education)

HONORS&AWARDS§First coach to reach 100-career wins§2014 AVCA National Coach of the Year

USCATHLETICCAREER§Track & Field (2-time All-American),

Volleyball, Swimming

PROBEACHCAREER§1978-89; 20 tournament appearances§10 top 10 finishes

The Collier file

2017 USC BeaCh VolleyBall • Two-Time NaTioNal ChampioNS

UNiVerSiTy iNformaTioN Location Los Angeles, CaliforniaFounded 1880Enrollment 43,000 (19,000 undergraduates)Campus Size 150 AcresPresident Dr. C.L. Max NikiasAthletic Director Lynn SwannSenior Woman Administrator Dr. Donna C. HeinelNational Affiliation NCAA Division IConference Affiliation Pac-12Nickname Trojans / Women of TroyFight Song Fight OnColors Cardinal and GoldMascot TravelerHome Court (Cap) Merle Norman Stadium (500)

BeaCh VolleyBall STaff Head Coach Anna Collier (6th year)Alma Mater USC, ‘77Collier’s Record at USC 110-17 (.866)Collier’s Career Record 110-17 (.866)Assistant Coach Ali Wood Lamberson (2nd year)Vol. Assistant Coach Dain Blanton (3rd year)Office Phone (213) 740-0855Athletic Trainer Katie JohnsonTraining Room Phone (213) 740-0891

SporTS iNformaTioN Director Tim TessaloneMailing Address USC Sports Information 3501 Watt Way, Heritage Hall 103 Los Angeles, CA 90089-0601Office Phone (213) 740-8480Beach Volleyball SID Jeremy WuOffice Phone (213) 740-3807Office Fax (213) 740-7584Mobile Phone (213) 379-3977E-Mail jjw@usc.eduUSC Ticket Office (213) 740-GOSCWebsite www.usctrojans.comInstagram, Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat @USCBeach

Beach vOlleyBall hiStORy First Season of Beach Volleyball * 2012First Head Coach Anna CollierAll-Time Record 110-17 (.866)Record at Merle Norman Stadium 36-4All-Time AVCA Postseason Record 7-4All-Time NCAA Postseason Record 4-0Team Conference Championships 1 (2016)Pairs Conference Championships 1 (2016)Team National Championships 2 (2015-16)Pairs National Championships 3 (2013, 2014, 2015)AVCA Team Appearances 3NCAA Team Appearances 1AVCA All-America Selections 10 (6 players)* First season women’s beach volleyball scholarships awarded at USC

2016 SeaSoN reView Overall Record 34-2Home Record 9-1Away Record 3-1Neutral Site Record 22-0Final AVCA Ranking No. 1Postseason Finish NCAA Champion (def. FSU, 3-0)

2017 Team iNformaTioN Letterwinners Returning / Lost 11 / 5Starters Returning / Lost 8 / 2Newcomers 5Class Breakdown (Sr / Jr / So / Fr) 5 / 3 / 4 / 4

2017 USC QUiCk faCTSLAST TIME OUT: The Women of Troy started the 2017 campaign with a pair of victories at the Pepperdine Kick-Off and extended their record streak to 32 consecutive wins. USC defeated crosstown rival UCLA—ranked No. 3 at the time—by a 3-2 count and then followed up with a 4-1 victory over No. 4-ranked Pepperdine at Zuma Beach. The Trojans’ top pair of Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes pushed their incredible winning streak to 75 straight dating back to 2015 while USC’s newly-formed junior duo of Jenna Belton and Jo Kremer went 2-0 at court five. Despite taking splits down the middle of the lineup, the Trojans’ courts two, three, and four showed that they can compete on the highest level, each taking key wins in the two duals.

SCOUTINGREPORT: The Trojans will meet LSU for the first time in program history, but get a second shot against Florida International at this weekend’s tournament. USC beat FIU, 5-0, last April at the Panthers’ Surf and Turf tournament in Miami, Fla.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION: Before the Trojans get started at the East Meets West Invitational, USC hosts pairs from Team USA, Poland, and China for friendly exhibition matches at Merle Norman Stadium on Friday, March 10. Play will begin at 11 a.m. PT and admission is free to the general public.

HOME, SWEET, HOME: The Women of Troy are 34-4 at Merle Norman Stadium since the venue’s opening in 2013. The Trojans won 19straighthome matches between 2014 and 2016; and went 10-0 in 2015 and 8-0 in 2014 on MNS sand. USC currently owns an eight-matchwinning streak at the stadium. Only three teams have ever come to Merle Norman Stadium and beaten the Trojans: Florida State (twice), Long Beach State, and Pepperdine.

ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS: On Saturday, April 23, 2016, USC defeated Hawai’i, 3-0, to make head coach Anna Collier the first collegiate beach volleyball coach to reach the 100 career victories mark. She is currently 110-17 all-time.

SENIOR CITIZENS: The Trojans’ seniors Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes are the winningest pair in program history. The duo has won 94 matches (3 losses)together over the course of a three-year relationship. Seniors NicoletteMartin and Allie Wheeler formed the second-most successful duo in school history from 2014-16 as they amassed 91victories(91-14) through the end of the 2016 NCAA championship run. Claes and Hughes own the USC single-season record for wins with a 48-0 mark achieved in 2016.

LET’SGOSTREAKING:USC set a new program record to close the 2016 season as winners of 30 consecutive matches. The streak carried into the 2017 campaign and now stands at 32 straight wins. Seniors Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes have won 75 straightmatches dating back to April 2, 2015. During that streak, the two Trojans have lost just six sets (only one in 2016). The dynamic duo won 25 straight matches to close the 2015 season as AVCA National Pairs Champions and finished with a final mark of 44-3. They then went undefeated in 2016 with a 48-0 record.

HAT TRICK: The Women of Troy have won each of the last three AVCA pairs’ national championships. Kirby Burnham and SteviRobinson claimed the title in 2013. Burnham then won again with Sara Hughes in 2014. Following Burnham’s graduation, Hughes teamed with Kelly Claes to win the 2015 crown. With the NCAA’s sponsorship of beach volleyball as its 90th championship sport, the organization decided to hold a team championship and not a pairs’ tournament. This spring, the USAV will sponsor a Collegiate Beach Pairs National Championship at Manhattan Beach the weekend of May 11-13 where Claes and Hughes will have a chance to defend their 2015 title.

NCAA START: 2016 marked the first year that the NCAA officially sponsored beach volleyball as a championship sport. It became the NCAA’s 90th championship and was contested in Gulf Shores, Ala., the site of the four AVCA national championships from 2012-15. In addition, the Pac-12, with eight teams, sponsored the first-ever conference championship the weekend of April 28-May 1. The Pac-12 Championships produced both a team winner and a pairs’ winner. USC’s Merle Norman Stadium hosted the first-ever Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship. The 2017 Pac-12 Championships will be hosted by Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.

2017 USC BeaCh VolleyBall • Two-Time NaTioNal ChampioNS

POLL POSITION: USC opened the season ranked No. 1 in both the AVCA Coaches Top 15 and the DiG Magazine Top 20 media poll. The Women of Troy seized the top spot in both polls on March 23, 2015, following a victory over then No. 1-ranked Hawai’i on the road and held the ranking for the rest of 2015. USC has been ranked No. 1 in 13 AVCA polls, which ties for the most all-time with Pepperdine. The Trojans, the Waves, and the Wahine are the only three teams ever to hold the top spot in the poll. USC is 55-3all-timewhen ranked No. 1. The Trojans received their first-ever No. 1 ranking in 2014 and maintained the position for much of the season, before the they fell to eventual AVCA champion Pepperdine in the national semifinals. In 2013, USC started the season ranked third and finished in fourth.

TRACKTHETROJANS: Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCBeach on Twitter for score updates during home matches and select road matches. The Trojans are also active on Instagram, Facebook, Periscope, and Snapchat. Search @USCBeach and follow us today!

TROJANSINTVLAND:USC beach volleyball matches will be shown live on several Pac-12 Networks channels this season. The Trojans’ match against California (March 22) will be on Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Los Angeles, and Pac-12 Bay Area. A dual against Stanford on the Farm (April 18) will appear on the same three channels. Then, at home, matches against Bakersfield and Long Beach State on April 20 will appear on Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Los Angeles. USC will also appear on SEC+ when it takes on South Carolina (March 25) and was shown on FloVolleyball.com in streamed matches on March 4 at the Pepperdine Kick-Off.

ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS: The Trojans have celebrated six AVCA All-Americans and 10 All-America certificates in five seasons. Sara Hughes is the program’s only three-time All-American. Kirby Burnham and Kelly Claes are each two-time AVCA All-Americans. SteviRobinson, Alexa Strange, and SophieBukovec each also hold one-time All-America distinction on their resumes. Hughes, Claes, Bukovec, and Strange have also been chosen for DiG Magazine All-America honors.

BETTERTHANTHEREST: No team can claim a winning record against the Women of Troy. Only Pepperdine (8-8) and Long Beach State (5-5) are even in their all-time series with the Trojans. In fact, the Waves and 49ers are two of just four teams to have ever registered a win over USC. They are responsible for 13 of USC’s 17 all-time losses. The other wins belong to Florida State (3), and Hawai’i (1). The Trojans are undefeated against the other 31 of their all-time opponents.

OH, CANADA: Senior Sophie Bukovec is the Trojans’ first Canadian player. Bukovec hails from the country’s most populous city of Toronto, which is also the provincial capital of Ontario. She once took the medal podium alongside fellow senior Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes. Representing Canada, Bukovec and her partner Tia Miric won gold medals at the 2014 U21 World Championships in Larnaka, Cyprus, an event at which Claes and Hughes teamed to represent the U.S. and won bronze medals. Bukovec is the program’s second international player. NatasaSiljkovic, an indoor volleyball convert, played two seasons on the sand (2013-14), and hailed from Uzice, Serbia.

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING: Senior Sara Hughes has a big fan in her older brother Connor Hughes. The elder Hughes was a member of UC Irvine’s 2012 and 2013 NCAA championship teams and was chosen as the tournament MVP in 2013. While he has two team championship rings, Sara can now boast that she is a two-time individual national champion as the 2014 and ’15 AVCA Pairs title holder as well as a two-time national champion with the Trojans as a team (2015-16). Hughes’ older sister Lauren also played volleyball – she was a four-year letterwinning outside hitter at Fairfield (2007-10).

LET’SGET IT STARTED: Senior Kelly Claes could have been shopping for prom dresses. Instead, she played a key role in the Trojans’ 2014 season success. Claes completed high school graduation requirements a semester early and left El Dorado HS to join the Women of Troy as a Volleyball Magazine Girls Fab 50 choice last spring. With her arrival, the Trojans signed the top sand volleyball recruit in consecutive years. USC signed top sand recruit Sara Hughes in 2013.

AHEARTFORART: Senior NicoletteMartin is a fine arts major at USC’s famed Roski School of Art and Design. She specializes in graphite and pencil-sketch drawings but is also well versed in photography and paint. She has had her work featured

RK TEAM RECORD LAST1 USC 2-0 1 2 Florida State 2-0 2 3 Pepperdine 1-1 4 4 UCLA 2-2 3 5 Hawai’i 4-0 5 6 Long Beach State 2-0 7 7 Georgia State 4-0 8 8 Arizona 1-2 6 9 Stetson 1-2 9 10 LSU 1-2 10 11 Grand Canyon 4-1 12 T-12 Florida International 5-1 11 T-12 Arizona State 2-1 NR 14 Stanford 4-0 13 15 South Carolina 4-0 NR

Alsoreceivingvotes:California, Tulane, TCU, Florida Atlantic, Saint Mary’s, Loyola Marymount, Cal Poly, New Mexico, North Florida, UNC Wilmington, Nebraska

as of March 6 • Next poll: March 13

avca cOacheS tOP 15 POll

RK TEAM RECORD LAST1 USC 2-0 1 2 Florida State 2-0 3 3 Pepperdine 1-1 4 4 UCLA 2-2 2 5 Hawai’i 4-0 5 6 Long Beach State 2-0 10 7 Georgia State 4-0 8 8 Grand Canyon 4-1 11 9 Arizona State 2-1 NR 10 LSU 1-2 9 11 Stetson 1-2 7 12 Florida International 5-1 12 13 Arizona 1-2 6 14 California 4-0 16 15 South Carolina 4-0 17 16 Stanford 4-0 NR 17 Tulane 4-0 14 18 TCU 3-1 15 19 Florida Atlantic 2-2 19 20 Loyola Marymount 2-2 20

Othersreceivingvotes:Saint Mary’s, North Florida, New Mexico, Cal Poly, Washington, USF, Nebraska

as of March 6 • Next poll: March 13

dig magazine tOP 20 POll

2017 USC BeaCh VolleyBall • Two-Time NaTioNal ChampioNS

in the Artletics on-campus exhibit that displays the works of USC student-athletes. Martin’s handiwork can be seen hanging above head coach Anna Collier’s desk in Galen Center and is also on display to the general public when people walk by Merle Norman Stadium. The three large volleyballs that sit outside the venue were once white but received a cardinal and gold paint job from Martin last spring.

TWINNINGTIMESTHREE: Senior SophieBukovec, junior Terese Cannon, and junior Brianna Sizemore are each halves of sets of twins. Bukovec’s sister Stephanie is a soccer player at Oakland University. The two are two of four siblings. The Bukovec’s also have a brother named Matthew and another sister named Natalie. Cannon’s sister Maryn is a junior at Georgetown, where Terese transferred from. The Cannons also have another sister named Hannah. Sizemore’s sister Morgan actually played volleyball long before Brianna took it up. The two Sizemores also have a set of twin brothers named Gregory and Tommy.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LLGO: The USC beach program is on the rise, and the nation knows. Since 2012, the Trojans have acquired student-athletes that have chosen to transfer in order to compete on one of the top teams in the country. Even USC’s two oldest traditional football rivals have been represented on the Trojan roster. Junior Jo Kremer played indoor volleyball at Notre Dame in the fall of 2014. 2016 graduate ZoeNightingaleand 2015 graduate Meg Norton were each previously members of UCLA’s indoor volleyball team. 2016 grad Alexa Strange gave up the indoor game at Nebraska to join the Trojans while senior SophieBukovecdid the same after a successful season at Long Beach State. In 2016, the Trojans received a transfer from Georgetown, a traditional basketball power, when Terese Cannon made the coastal change to come to USC. In 2017, a budding beach star, Brianna Sizemore will join the Trojans from Point Loma Nazarene.

STAFF INFECTION: The Trojans will benefit from having Olympic gold-medal winner Dain Blanton as the team’s volunteer assistant coach for a third straight year. Blanton won beach volleyball gold in the 2000 Sydney Games with partner Eric Fonoimoana. He also played in the 2004 games in Athens, and currently serves as an analyst for the Pac-12 Networks for men’s volleyball matches. Three seasons ago, Blanton replaced the Trojans’ former assistant Misty May-Treanor, who was a three-time Olympic gold-medal winner on the sand. USC boasts one of the most broadly experienced coaching staffs in the nation.

USC ALUMS ON THE BEACH: USC women’s volleyball players have shined on the pro beach world circuit, both internationally and domestically. Some of the top Women of Troy stars have included 2012 London Olympic silver medalists April Ross and Jennifer Kessy (winners of 24 tournaments, including the 2009 FIVB World Championship); Tracy (Lindquist) Jones (13-year pro); Geena Urango, JessicaGysin, and KeaoBurdine (young beach stars); BibianaCandelas (indoor All-American who won the first-ever Collegiate Nationals Beach Championship in 2006); Paula Weishoff (an indoor Olympian and Volleyball Hall of Fame inductee); and Miki McFadden (indoor Olympian). The USC men also have a strong tradition including such pro tourney winners as Tim Hovland, AdamJohnson, Pat Powers, Steve Timmons, SteveObradovich, and RonLang.

DATE RECORD AVCA DiGMAG

FEB 20 (PRE) 0-0 No. 1 No. 1

MAR 6 2-0 No. 1 No. 1

MAR 13

MAR 20

MAR 27

APR 3

APR 10

APR 17

APR 24

MAY 1

FINAL

USCAVCAPOLLSUPERLATIVES27 • Number of weeks ranked in the poll (1.000)

27 • Number of weeks ranked in top 5

14 • Number of weeks ranked No. 1 (T-1st)

1 • One of three teams to hold No. 1 ranking

55-3 • Overall record when ranked No. 1

2017 uSc POll PROgReSSiOn

OveRall Overall Record 2-0Home 0-0Away 1-0Neutral 1-0

Against AVCA Ranked Opponents 2-0Against AVCA Unranked Opponents 0-0When USC is Ranked Higher 2-0When USC is Ranked Lower 0-0

In 5-0 Matches 0-0In 4-1 Matches 1-0In 3-2 Matches 1-0Other Finishes 0-0

Pair No. 1 Clincher --Pair No. 2 Clincher --Pair No. 3 Clincher 1Pair No. 4 Clincher 1Pair No. 5 Clincher --

StReakS Longest Win Streak W2 (Mar. 4-active)Longest Losing Streak --Active Streak W32 (Mar. 11, 2016-active)

2017 uSc SuPeRlativeS

@USCBeach

2017 USC BeaCh VolleyBall • Two-Time NaTioNal ChampioNS

OPPONENT LAST STREAK RECArizona 2016 W5 5-0Arizona State 2016 W4 4-0Boise State 2015 W2 2-0California 2016 W3 3-0Cal State Northridge 2014 W2 2-0Concordia 2015 W2 2-0CSU Bakersfield 2015 W6 6-0Florida Atlantic 2016 W1 1-0Florida Gulf Coast 2012 W1 1-0Florida International 2016 W1 1-0Florida State 2016 W2 4-3Fullerton College 2013 W1 1-0Georgia State 2016 W2 2-0Grand Canyon 2016 W3 3-0Hawai’i 2016 W6 10-1Irvine Valley College 2015 W1 1-0Long Beach State 2016 W4 5-5Louisiana-Monroe 2016 W2 2-0Loyola Marymount 2016 W15 15-0Nebraska 2016 W5 5-0New Mexico 2016 W2 2-0North Florida 2013 W1 1-0Oregon 2016 W2 2-0Pacific 2013 W1 1-0Pepperdine 2017 W4 8-8Saint Mary’s College 2015 W2 2-0San Francisco 2015 W1 1-0San Jose State 2014 W1 1-0Santa Barbara CC 2013 W1 1-0Santa Clara 2015 W2 2-0South Carolina 2016 W1 1-0Stetson 2016 W4 4-0TCU 2016 W2 2-0Tulane 2016 W1 1-0UCLA 2017 W6 6-0TOTAL 110-17

Merle Norman Stadium is the on-campus home to the USC women’s beach volleyball program. Located on the east side of University Park Campus on Figueroa Street across from the Galen Center, it features three courts with sand from the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The palm tree-encircled stadium also has bleachers and a grass berm for spectator seating, a scoreboard and audio system, lighting, restrooms, showers, and multiple team storage areas.

Ground was broken to build the new venue in July of 2012 under the generous donations of Jack and Helen Nethercutt and John and Melinda Muller, and a large sum from an anonymous donor. The Mullers have a daughter (Erica) on the 2013 squad. A USC alumnus, Jack Nethercutt served as vice president of marketing and later President of Merle Norman Cosmetics in 1973. He left the company to pursue other ventures but returned to his presidency in March of 2002 and now serves as Chairman of the Board with his wife Helen as Vice Chairman.

The stadium is named for Nethercutt’s great aunt and namesake of the cosmetics corporation, Merle Nethercutt Norman. Jack and Helen are active in Los Angeles non-profits and charities and are Galen Founders, Scholarship Club members, and Conquest supporters of the USC Trojan Marching Band.

On Thursday, March 7, 2013, USC officially opened and dedicated Merle Norman Stadium in conjunction with the beach volleyball program’s alumni match. The Nethercutts were on hand to cut the ribbon with first Trojan head coach Anna Collier and athletic director Pat Haden. USC All-America alumnae and Olympic beach volleyball silver medalists Jennifer Kessy and April Ross christened the sand in their return to campus for the special match.

The Women of Troy played their first dual match in the stadium on Sunday, March 10, 2013, and earned a 4-1 victory over Loyola Marymount. USC produced a 7-3 mark in 2013 and was 8-0 in 2014 on its home sand at Merle Norman Stadium. USC also went undefeated in 2015 at 10-0. The Trojans are 36-4 all-time at MNS.

meRle nORman Stadium

teamRanked No. 1 in AVCA Coaches Preseason PollRanked No. 1 in DiG Magazine Preseason Poll

kelly claeS & SaRa hugheSPac-12 Pair of the Week (March 7)

2017 hoNorS aNd awardS

all-time uSc SeRieS RecORdS By OPPOnent

2017 USC BeaCh VolleyBall • Two-Time NaTioNal ChampioNS

2017 uSc Beach vOlleyBall BROadcaSt ROSteR

kelly claeSSr. • 6-3

Fullerton, Calif.

#3SOPhie BukOvec

Sr. • 6-1Toronto, Ontario

aBRil BuStamanteSo. • 6-0

Redondo Beach, Calif.

JOy denniSFr. • 6-1

Cypress, Calif.

#5 #10 #11

allie wheelerSr. • 5-11

Saratoga, Calif.

#12lainy thOmaS

Fr. • 5-10Frisco, Texas

SaRa hugheSSr. • 5-10

Costa Mesa, Calif.

Becca dunnSo. • 5-11

San Clemente, Calif.

#13 #14 #15

katRina keRnOchanSo. • 5-9

Manhattan Beach, Calif.

#20cammie dORn

Fr. • 6-1Laguna Beach, Calif.

JO kRemeRJr. • 5-8

Pacific Palisades, Calif.

BRianna SizemOReJr. • 6-1

Carlsbad, Calif.

#24 #25 #30

Jenna BeltOnJr. • 6-1

Aptos, Calif.

#31nicOlette maRtin

Sr. • 5-9Anaheim, Calif.

aveRy hazelRiggFr. • 5-7

Manhattan Beach, Calif.

teReSe cannOnJr. • 6-3

Pittsford, N.Y.

#35 #40 #41

anna cOllieRHead Coach

6th year

ali lamBeRSOnAssistant Coach

2nd year

dain BlantOnVolunteer Asst. Coach

3rd year

katie JOhnSOnAthletic Trainer

2nd year

kelly dORmandyStrength & Conditioning

2nd year

2017 USC BEACH VOLLEYBALLOverall Record: 2-0

Home: 0-0 • Away: 1-0 • Neutral: 1-0AVCA Ranking: No. 1 • DiG Magazine Ranking: No. 1

as of Monday, March 6

DUAL MATCH RESULTS

DATE OPPONENT SCORE RECORD 1 2 3 4 5 RANK OPP RANK MAR 4 vs. UCLA 1 3-2 W 1-0 W L W L W No. 1 No. 3 MAR 4 at Pepperdine 1 4-1 W 2-0 W W L W W No. 1 No. 4 MAR 11 vs. Florida International 2 No. 1 No. 12 MAR 11 vs. Louisiana State 2 No. 1 No. 10 MAR 16 vs. Nebraska MAR 16 vs. Florida State MAR 17 vs. Nebraska 3 MAR 17 vs. Utah 3 MAR 18 vs. Arizona 3 MAR 18 vs. Florida State 3 MAR 18 vs. Hawai’i 3 MAR 22 Loyola Marymount MAR 25 vs. Florida State 4 MAR 25 at South Carolina 4 MAR 26 vs. Stetson 4 MAR 26 vs. Georgia State 4 MAR 28 California APR 1 vs. San Francisco 5 APR 2 vs. Saint Mary’s College 6 APR 2 vs. San Jose State 6 APR 7 Washington APR 7 Arizona State APR 8 vs. Loyola Marymount # APR 8 vs. Arizona State # APR 8 vs. Saint Mary’s College # APR 14 Aloha Invitattional & APR 18 at Stanford APR 20 Long Beach State APR 20 Bakersfield APR 22 Cal Poly APR 22 UCLA APR 27 Pac-12 Championships *

Bold indicates match at Merle Norman Stadium1 Pepperdine Kick-Off • Zuma Beach • Malibu, Calif.2 UCLA East Meets West Invitational • Manhattan Beach Pier • Manhattan Beach, Calif.3 Outrigger Hawai’i Invitational • Queen’s Beach • Honolulu, Hawai’i4 Gamecock Grand Slam – Dan Apol Memorial • Wheeler Beach • Columbia, S.C.5 San Francisco Invitational • Main Beach • Santa Cruz, Calif.6 Monterey Invitational II • Del Monte Beach • Monterey, Calif.# USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge • Manhattan Beach Pier • Manhattan Beach, Calif.& Aloha Invitational • Kalapaki Beach • Kauai, Hawai’i* Pac-12 Championships • Arizona Sand Volleyball Courts • Tucson, Ariz.^ NCAA Championship • Gulf Shores Beach • Gulf Shores, Ala.

PAIRS RECORDS

PAIR NO. 1 NO. 2 NO. 3 NO. 4 NO. 5 DUAL OTHER OVERALL Jenna BELTON/Jo KREMER -- -- -- -- 2-0 2-0 -- 2-0 Sophie BUKOVEC/Allie WHEELER -- 1-1 -- -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 Abril BUSTAMANTE/Joy DENNIS -- -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 -- 1-1 Terese CANNON/Nicolette MARTIN -- -- 1-1 -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 Kelly CLAES/Sara HUGHES 2-0 -- -- -- -- 2-0 -- 2-0 TOTALS 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 2-0 7-3 -- 7-3

TEAM DUAL AGATE RESULTS

No. 1 USC def. No. 3 UCLA, 3-2Zuma Beach • Malibu, Calif.Pepperdine Kick-OffSaturday, March 4, 2017Records: USC (1-0), UCLA (2-2) 1. Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes (USC) def. Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (UCLA) 21-19, 21-122. Kamila Tan/Madi Yeomans (UCLA) def. Sophie Bukovec/Allie Wheeler (USC) 16-21, 21-17, 15-113. Terese Cannon/Nicolette Martin (USC) def. Savvy Simo/Torrey Van Winden (UCLA) 21-16, 21-184. Izzy Carey/Elise Zappia (UCLA) def. Abril Bustamante/Joy Dennis (USC) 21-19, 21-155. Jenna Belton/Jo Kremer (USC) def. Chanti Holroyd/Lily Justine (UCLA) 21-18, 17-21, 15-11Order of finish: 1, 3, 4, 5*, 2

MATCH #1

2

3

No. 1 USC def. No. 4 Pepperdine, 4-1Zuma Beach • Malibu, Calif.Pepperdine Kick-OffSaturday, March 4, 2017Records: USC (2-0), Pepperdine (1-1) 1. Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes (USC) def. Delaney Knudsen/Madalyn Roh (PEP) 21-12, 21-132. Sophie Bukovec/Allie Wheeler (USC) def. Brittany Howard/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) 21-15, 21-183. Skylar Caputo/Heidi Dyer (PEP) def. Terese Cannon/Nicolette Martin (USC) 22-20, 21-144. Abril Bustamante/Joy Dennis (USC) def. Deahna Kraft/Anika Wilson (PEP) 21-13, 25-235. Jenna Belton/Jo Kremer (USC) def. Gigi Hernandez/Katty Workman (PEP) 20-22, 21-16, 15-11Order of finish: 2, 1, 4*, 3, 5

MATCH #2

1

4

PAIRS RESULTS AND STATISTICS

Jenna BELTON • Jo KREMER DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES OPPONENT (SCHOOL) SCORE K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 5 W* Chanti Holroyd/Lily Justine (UCLA) 21-18, 17-21, 15-11 33 12 3 6 9 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 5 W Gigi Hernandez/Katty Workman (PEP) 20-22, 21-16, 15-11 40 4 3 3 5 Total 2-0, 2-0 73 16 0 0 6 9 14

Sophie BUKOVEC • Allie WHEELER DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES OPPONENT (SCHOOL) SCORE K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 2 L Kamila Tan/Madi Yeomans (UCLA) 16-21, 21-17, 15-11 23 7 1 3 8 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 2 W Brittany Howard/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) 21-15, 21-18 25 4 1 2 7 Total 1-1, 1-1 48 11 0 0 2 5 15

Abril BUSTAMANTE • Joy DENNIS DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES OPPONENT (SCHOOL) SCORE K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 4 L Izzy Carey/Elise Zappia (UCLA) 21-19, 21-15 30 10 0 2 6 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 4 W* Deahna Kraft/Anika Wilson (PEP) 21-13, 25-23 28 6 0 8 5 Total 1-1, 1-1 58 16 0 0 0 10 11

Terese CANNON • Nicolette MARTIN DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES OPPONENT (SCHOOL) SCORE K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 3 W Savvy Simo/Torrey Van Winden (UCLA) 21-16, 21-18 30 2 1 4 4 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 3 L Skylar Caputo/Heidi Dyer (PEP) 22-20, 21-14 20 8 1 2 5 Total 1-1, 1-1 50 10 0 0 2 6 9

Kelly CLAES • Sara HUGHES DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES OPPONENT (SCHOOL) SCORE K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 1 W Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (UCLA) 21-19, 21-12 23 4 0 5 4 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 1 W Delaney Knudsen/Madalyn Roh (PEP) 21-12, 21-13 31 3 1 2 3 Total 2-0, 2-0 54 7 0 0 1 7 7

PLAYER NO. 1 NO. 2 NO. 3 NO. 4 NO. 5 DUAL OTHER OVERALL #3 Kelly CLAES 2-0 -- -- -- -- 2-0 -- 2-0 #5 Sophie BUKOVEC -- 1-1 -- -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 #10 Abril BUSTAMANTE -- -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 -- 1-1 #11 Joy DENNIS -- -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 -- 1-1 #12 Allie WHEELER -- 1-1 -- -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 #14 Sara HUGHES 2-0 -- -- -- -- 2-0 -- 2-0 #25 Jo KREMER -- -- -- -- 2-0 2-0 -- 2-0 #31 Jenna BELTON -- -- -- -- 2-0 2-0 -- 2-0 #35 Nicolette MARTIN -- -- 1-1 -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1 #41 Terese CANNON -- -- 1-1 -- -- 1-1 -- 1-1

#3 • Kelly CLAES DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 1 W Hughes Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (UCLA) 13 3 0 3 3 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 1 W Hughes Delaney Knudsen/Madalyn Roh (PEP) 24 3 1 2 3 Total 2-0, 2-0 37 6 0 0 1 5 6

INDIVIDUAL RECORDS AND STATISTICS

#5 • Sophie BUKOVEC DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 2 L Wheeler Kamila Tan/Madi Yeomans (UCLA) 13 6 1 3 5 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 2 W Wheeler Brittany Howard/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) 10 3 1 0 2 Total 1-1, 1-1 23 9 0 0 2 3 7

#10 • Abril BUSTAMANTE DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 4 L Dennis Izzy Carey/Elise Zappia (UCLA) 12 4 0 0 2 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 4 W* Dennis Deahna Kraft/Anika Wilson (PEP) 9 2 0 5 5 Total 1-1, 1-1 21 6 0 0 0 5 7

#11 • Joy DENNIS DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 4 L Bustamante Izzy Carey/Elise Zappia (UCLA) 18 6 0 2 4 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 4 W* Bustamante Deahna Kraft/Anika Wilson (PEP) 20 4 0 3 0 Total 1-1, 1-1 38 10 0 0 0 5 4

#12 • Allie WHEELER DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 2 L Bukovec Kamila Tan/Madi Yeomans (UCLA) 10 1 0 0 3 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 2 W Bukovec Brittany Howard/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) 15 1 0 2 5 Total 1-1, 1-1 25 2 0 0 0 2 8

#14 • Sara HUGHES DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 1 W Claes Megan McNamara/Nicole McNamara (UCLA) 10 1 0 2 1 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 1 W Claes Delaney Knudsen/Madalyn Roh (PEP) 7 1 0 0 0 Total 2-0, 2-0 17 2 0 0 0 2 1

#25 • Jo KREMER DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 5 W* Belton Chanti Holroyd/Lily Justine (UCLA) 23 10 0 3 6 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 5 W Belton Gigi Hernandez/Katty Workman (PEP) 24 2 0 3 3 Total 2-0, 2-0 47 12 0 0 0 6 9

#31 • Jenna BELTON DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 5 W* Kremer Chanti Holroyd/Lily Justine (UCLA) 10 2 3 3 3 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 5 W Kremer Gigi Hernandez/Katty Workman (PEP) 16 2 3 0 2 Total 2-0, 2-0 26 4 0 0 6 3 5

#35 • Nicolette MARTIN DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 3 W Cannon Savvy Simo/Torrey Van Winden (UCLA) 17 0 0 1 1 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 3 L Cannon Skylar Caputo/Heidi Dyer (PEP) 9 1 0 2 2 Total 1-1, 1-1 26 1 0 0 0 3 3

#41 • Terese CANNON DATE DUAL/TOURNAMENT (ROUND) POS/RES PARTNER OPPONENT (SCHOOL) K E TA PCT D B SA SE 3-04 vs. No. 3 UCLA No. 3 W Martin Savvy Simo/Torrey Van Winden (UCLA) 13 2 1 3 3 3-04 at No. 4 Pepperdine No. 3 L Martin Skylar Caputo/Heidi Dyer (PEP) 11 7 1 0 3 Total 1-1, 1-1 24 9 0 0 2 3 6