TCU
Cal State Northridge
TCU Stumbles to CSUN, 4-1
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
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FORT WORTH, Texas - Blaire Pickens and Sarah Grantham won the first-ever official sand volleyball match, as the TCU sand volleyball team fell to Cal State Northridge, 4-1, on Tuesday in Northridge, Calif.
The Horned Frogs (0-6) posted the victory at the No. 4 position, while Sarita Mikals and Mia Swanegan notched their second exhibition victory of the season over the Matadors (2-2).
"Congrats to Blaire and Sarah for being our first pair to win a flight match for us," head coach Erik Peterson said. "All of the pairs are working extremely hard and it is really showing. We were right there in this match. Besides the first win, two of the other flights were 15-13 in the third set. If four points swing our way, we are celebrating our first team win.
"I'm looking forward to the rest of the week and seeing them compete with some of the best."
In the opening three matches that took place, TCU was able to snag two victories with Grantham and Pickens grabbing one in the flight and Mikals and Swanegan picking up the win in exhibition action.
Grantham and Pickens were hot from the start and snagged a 21-13 victory in the first set over Cieana Stinson and Stephanie Serna. A battle ensued in the second set, with the Matador pair coming out on top in a point-for-point fight, 23-21. The TCU duo did not give up and took the final set, 15-12, to win their first match.
Mikals and Swanegan followed suit in the exhibition match by winning the firs set, 21-15. CSUN came back to take the second set, 21-19, before the Frog pair was victorious in the final set, 15-10, to pick up their second win of the season.
The final match in the first three played also went to three sets, with Chyna and Chyanne Perkins battling Alia Casino and Nada Dragovic at the No. 5 spot. The twins battled back from losing the first set to take the second, 21-17, but could not hold onto the momentum and dropped the final set, 15-13.
The top three pairs were up next, with CSUN taking the top two spots in straight sets to lead the match 3-1. Sutton Sunstrum and Alexia Heist split the first two sets in their match at the No. 3 position and went back-and-forth in the final set, but could not finish the match, as Julie Haake an Nicolette Pinkney won, 15-13.
TCU will next head to Malibu, Calif., to take on the top two teams in the nation, No.1 Pepperdine and No. 2 Florida State, on March 11 in a double header. The Frogs will first face the Waves at 2 p.m., CT, before taking on the Seminoles at 3 p.m., CT.
CSUN 4, TCU 1
No. 1: Casey Hinger/Kelcie Randazzo (CSUN) def. Natalie Gower/Shane Peters (TCU): 21-18, 21-12
No. 2: Mahina Haina/Katie Sato (CSUN) def. Macy Capen/Ashley Smith (TCU): 21-14, 21-18
No. 3: Julie Haake/Nicolette Pinkney (CSUN) def. Sutton Sunstrum/Alexia Heist (TCU): 19-21, 21-19, 15-13
No. 4: Blaire Pickens/Sarah Grantham (TCU) def. Cieana Stinson/Stephanie Serna (CSUN): 21-13, 21-23, 15-12
No. 5: Alia Casino/Nada Dragovic (CSUN) def. Chyna Perkins/Chyanne Perkins (TCU): 15-21, 21-17, 15-13
No. 6: Sarita Mikals/Mia Swanegan (TCU) def. Lauren Conati/Brianna Johnson (CSUN): 21-15, 19-21, 15-10
