Racich, Ross of Pepperdine claim top slot at USAV Collegiate Challenge – Volleyball news
The dynamic duo of Caitlin Racich and Summer Ross of the Pepperdine women’s sand volleyball team exhibited a wonderful performance in the Gold Division stage of USAV Collegiate Challenge on Sunday and emerged as the top duo of the competition.
The final showdown of the USAV Collegiate Challenge was an all-Pepperdine affair, which featured Ross/Racich on one side of the court while the pairing of Frederick and Hill took their positions on the other side.
As the match started, Racich and Ross developed a great timing and managed to build an early lead. In the response, Hill and Frederick incorporated solid attacks and tried to resist with their full potential. However, better digging and diving of Racich/Ross
enabled them to seize opening frame at 21-14.
The bad coordination and unnecessary mistakes caused the damage Frederick/Hill in first set but they learned from their experience and overcame the flaws in next stanza. Hill took long run ups and provided plenty of power to the ball while serving.
On the other hand, Frederick proved the metal of her forearms and hit the ball with full might. She targeted the rare gaps in opponent’s half and scored points on back-to-back attacks. In the meantime, Racich and Ross struggled to break the rhythm of Hill/Frederick
and hit from all possible angles.
Nevertheless, Frederick/Hill continued at same pace and finished the second, 21-18.
Following the tie of score in second set, the match entered the decisive third flight. Frederick and Hill seemed confident after winning the second set, while Ross and Racich were raged-up with the loss. Both duos exchanged long rallies and jumped on every
little opportunity to score points.
As a result, the match turned into a heated competition and created a whole lot of entertainment for the spectators. The situation remained undecided until the final moments of the match. Eventually, Ross/Racich put an end to the tussle and pulled off success
by sending 16-14 on board. Frederick and Hill dropped third set with narrow gap of two points, which led them to final match defeat.
At the end of the tournament, Racich and Ross totalled 12 points and got hold of the top No. 1 position. Frederick and Hill finished with 10 points and settled in No. 2 position. Third place on the ranking chart of USAV Collegiate Challenge was shared by
two USC duos that ended up 8 points, apiece.
In the next run, the AVCA Collegiate Sand National Championship is set to take place from April 27-29. A total of four teams will be on board to contest their sand volleyball skills. The top-seeded Waves will also join the competition, where they will be
challenged by teams from Florida State, Long Beach State, and the team of Charleston College.
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