TCU’s Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno came from behind to win the final match as the second-seeded Horned Frogs wrapped up their first NCAA women’s beach volleyball championship with a 3-2 victory over No. 4 seed Loyola Marymount on Sunday at Gulf Shores, Ala.
TCU (32-5) is the first school other than USC and UCLA to win the title. The Trojans won the first two and the previous four, while the Bruins won two straight in 2018-19.
Alvarez and Moreno, who took a year off to play in the Olympics, returned to finish unbeaten in four years as a duo. Alvarez and Moreno dropped the first game 18-21 to LMU’s Michelle Shaffer and Anna Pelloia before rallying to win the final two 21-15 and 15-6.
The Lions (38-7) eliminated No. 5 seed USC in the quarterfinals and top-seed UCLA in the semifinals.TCU No. 3 pair Sofia Izuzquizal and Allanis Navas earned a point with a 21-16, 21-13 sweep of Abbey Thorup and Lisa Luini.
Anhelina Khmil and Ana Vergara also swept their way to a point with 21-14 and 21-19 win over Isabelle Reffel and Magdalena Rabitsch at No. 4.
The TCU duo finished 21-0 this season.
The Olympians finished off the championship as the Horned Frogs won 12 straight to end the season.
LMU twos pair Chloe Hooker and Vilhelmiina Prihti earned a point with a 21-16, 21-17 sweep of Hailey Hamlett and Maria Gonzalez, as Prihti surpassed Jessie Pritchard as LMU’s all-time winningest player with 110 wins.
At No. 5, LMU’s Tanon Rosenthal and Giuliana Poletti Corrales defeated Stacy Reeves and Denie Konstantinova 21-16, 21-16 to set up a decisive match on the final court.
TCU, which defeated No. 6 Cal Poly and No. 7 Texas to reach the final, completed its historic season 32-5, winning its final 12 matches.
LMU, which defeated No. 5 USC and No. 1 UCLA on Saturday to reach the final, finished 38-7.
The Lions are just the second program in school history to play in a National Championship event, joining the 2004 women’s water polo program.
The 38 wins are a program record and John Mayer became the first coach in school history to be named National Coach of the Year. The team also became the first in school history to win six consecutive conference titles.
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