GULF SHORES, Ala,. – After winning two straight matches at the NCC Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala., the No. 5 Loyola Marymount University beach volleyball team dropped its match to No. 2 USC in the semi-finals. 
 
The Lions battled the Trojans, and took court three, but USC took three courts to take the win. 
 
RECORDS: USC (29-4), Loyola Marymount (31-7)
1. Tina GRAUDINA/Megan KRAFT (USC) def. Iya LINDAHL/Megan RICE (LMU); 21-14, 21-18
2. Julia SCOLES/Sammy SLATER (USC) def. Selina MAROLF/Reka ORSI TOTH (LMU); 24-22, 21-14
3. Jessie PRICHARD/Savannah SLATTERY (LMU) def. Haley HALLGREN/Hailey HARWARD (USC); 22-20, 21-19
4. Joy DENNIS/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) vs. Darby DUNN/Jacinda RAMIREZ (LMU); 27-25, 22-24, 7-7 susp.
5. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Emma DOUD/Madi FIRNETT (LMU); 21-18, 21-19
Order of finish: 2, 3, 5, 1*
  
LMU will head to the elimination finals on Sunday at 7:00 AM, where the team will take on. No. 1 UCLA. If the Lions, win, they will play USC again on Sunday for the Championship game at 10:30 AM PST. 
 
The Lions will meet with the Bruins for the second time this tournament, as LMU picked up its first win over UCLA since 2014. The Bruins' loss sent them to the elimination bracket, where they took on Cal Poly and LSU, and defeated the Mustangs and the Tigers 3-0, and 3-2, respectively to stay alive. 
 
The match can be streamed on ESPN2: https://www.espn.com/watch/