Westcliff opened up Nationals with Pool Play against Park and OUAZ.
1st match saw the Warriors competing hard against the wind, new ball and new opponent. Warriors were able to take a 2-0 lead because of the #1 and #2 Pairs. #3 and #4 both dropped all tied up at 2-2.
Westcliff's #5 pair with Serena Comer and Brooke Scheidle were the deciding factor taking the 3rd set and the 3rd point to win over Park University.
Westcliff's last match of the day was against OUAZ who they previously beat in the season 3-2. Warriors made a statement win to clinch the bye and a spot in the Semifinals with a final score of 4-1.
Match 1 Westcliff 3 vs Park 2
Pair 1: Marine Kinna and Fiona Moesching: 2-0 (22-20, 21-15)
Pair 2: Sabrina Galassi and Maddie Shepston: 1-2 (21-17, 19-21, 7-15)
Pair 3: Gianna Guinasso and Mia Scheepens: 2-0 (21-16, 21-14)
Pair 4: Faith Webb and Luise Palenczat: 0-2 (20-22, 16-21)
Pair 5: Brooke Scheidle and Serena Comer: 2-1 (18-21, 21-13, 15-11)
Match 2 Westcliff 4 vs OUAZ 1
Pair 1: Marine Kinna and Fiona Moesching: 2-0 (21-17, 21-17)
Pair 2: Gianna Guinasso and Mia Scheepens: 2-0 (21-17, 21-18)
Pair 3: Maddie Shepston and Sabrina Galassi: 2-0 (21-19, 21-18)
Pair 4: Faith Webb and Luise Palenczat: 0-2 (12-21, 20-22)
Pair 5: Brooke Scheidle and Serena Comer: (21-14, 21-10)
Coaches Notes (Tim Maruyama)
"As a coach my favorite moments are seeing the pairs working hard for each other and in the moments that they turn to each other smiling and just happy to compete.
We are so fortunate to have amazing teammates and coaches who all are laying it out and putting in the work on this final stretch.
Everybody here is good. Park was great, OUAZ was great, and every time we looked at the other pool we say three more teams balling out.
The difference between a national champion and a 6th place finish is going to be a very thin margin.
Kudos to all the players and coaches out here this week playing with heart and love for the game.
We hope we can keep the ball alive longer than the rest of the competition but at the end of the day we are here to celebrate a chaotic season and enjoy the sunshine and vibes out here in Florida."
