Beach Volleyball | 4/12/2017 8:50:00 PM

LOS GATOS, Calif. – The San Francisco beach volleyball team gave their strongest challenge of the season, earning two team points before falling in the best-of-five match to Santa Clara at Los Gatos HS on Wednesday afternoon.

The Dons earned their first point of the day from the No. 3 position, as Dane Miller and Carly Lowry dispatched Hailey Lindberg and Taylor Laugero, 21-15, 21-11. USF's second score came at the top of the lineup as No. 1 duo of Nora Buvarp Lavik and Emily Reed scored the 21-19, 21-15 victory over Santa Clara's Nikki Hess and Allison Kantor.

USF's No. 4 tandem nearly notched the win to give the Dons their first victory of the spring, but fell just short. Shannon Levinson and Kate Ashman used a late run to push the first set to a score of 24-22 before falling in the frame, followed up by a 21-17 decision as the Broncos clinched the win.

Just two regular season matches remain on the 2017 docket for the Dons, both slated for Saturday in Sacramento. USF takes on the host Sacramento State Hornets at 10 a.m., and closes the day against Cal Poly at 1 p.m.
 
Santa Clara 3, USF 2
Wednesday, April 12 | Los Gatos, Calif. (Los Gatos HS)
No. 1 - Nora Buvarp Lavik/Emily Reed (USF) def. Nikki Hess/Allison Kantor (SCU); 21-19, 21-15
No. 2 - Kirsten Mead/Jensen Cunningham (SCU) def. Marjolijn Oskam/Camille Araujo (USF); 21-9, 21-12
No. 3 - Dane Miller/Carly Lowry (USF) def. Hailey Lindberg/Taylor Laugero (SCU); 21-15, 21-11
No. 4 - Tatiana San Juan/Michelle Gajdka (SCU) def. Shannon Levinson/Kate Ashman; 24-22, 21-17
No. 5 - Ngozi Nwabuzoh/Erin Reineking (SCU) def. Montana Green/Trish Koutsoukos (USF); 21-19, 21-7
Order of Finish: 5, 3, 2, 4*, 1