The sun was brutal, the wind was whipping off the Gulf, and honestly, if you weren’t at Gulf Shores between May 3 and May 5, you missed one of the most predictable yet somehow stressful finishes in college sports history. We're talking about the NCAA women's beach volleyball championship 2024, a tournament that felt like a high-stakes chess match played in bikinis and sand socks. Everyone knew the collision course lead to a USC vs. UCLA finale. It's the "Crosstown Splashdown." It's inevitable. But the way it actually went down? That's where the nuance lives.
USC took the crown. Again. That’s four in a row for the Trojans and their sixth overall. If you’re a UCLA fan, this has to be getting old. The Bruins have now finished as the runner-up two years straight. They have the talent, they have the grit, but USC has this weird, intangible "clinch gene" that seems to activate the second they smell salt water in Alabama.
The Brutal Reality of the Single-Elimination Format
For the second year, the NCAA stuck with the single-elimination bracket. No double-elimination safety net. You lose, you’re on a flight home. This format change basically turned the 17-team field into a pressure cooker.
Teams like Chattanooga and North Florida were just happy to be there, but the real story was how the heavy hitters handled the "one and done" fear.
USC, led by coach Dain Blanton, looked untouchable early on. They swept North Florida 3-0 in the opening round and then blanked Loyola Marymount 3-0 in the quarterfinals. It looked easy. It wasn't. LMU is a tough out, and the scores were tighter than the 3-0 sweep suggests. But when you have Megan Kraft on your side, things just tend to go your way. Kraft was named the AVCA Player of the Year for a reason. She’s essentially a human vacuum on defense and a surgeon at the net.
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That Epic Sunday Final
Sunday morning, May 5. The air was thick. The dual between No. 1 USC and No. 2 UCLA started at 10:00 AM local time.
Here’s the thing most people don't realize about that final: every single one of the five matches went to three sets. That is insane. It’s never happened in a championship dual before. Usually, one or two courts are blowouts. Not this time.
- Court 2: Madison White and Maddi Kriz (USC) took down Peri Brennan and Devon Newberry. It was a dogfight: 14-21, 21-19, 15-13.
- Court 4: Ashley Pater and Grace Seits (USC) won another three-setter against Jaden Whitmarsh and Tessa Van Winkle.
- The Clincher: It came down to Court 3. Audrey Nourse and Nicole Nourse—the "Nourse Twins"—delivered the final blow for the second year in a row. They beat Jessie Smith and Kenzie Brower 22-20, 15-21, 15-11.
When that final ball hit the sand, the Trojans didn't just win a trophy; they cemented a dynasty.
Why USC Keeps Winning (It’s Not Just Luck)
You’ve got to look at the depth. Most teams have a killer No. 1 pair. USC has a killer No. 5 pair. In the 2024 championship, their lower seeds were consistently the ones putting the first points on the board. This takes the massive weight off the top flight's shoulders.
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Also, can we talk about Delaynie Maple? She and Megan Kraft have been playing together for what feels like a decade. They went 33-4 heading into the tournament. Their chemistry is borderline telepathic. While UCLA’s pairs were fighting through some late-season rotations, the Trojans were a well-oiled machine.
UCLA isn't exactly "failing," either. They finished 35-7. Maggie Boyd and Lexy Denaburg are arguably one of the best pairs to ever play for the Bruins. Denaburg, by the way, became a four-time First-Team All-American this year. That is a legendary stat. But even legends run into the USC buzzsaw eventually.
The Standout Performers You Might Have Missed
Beyond the USC/UCLA bubble, there was some incredible volleyball played.
- TCU’s Rise: The Horned Frogs under Hector Gutierrez are becoming a perennial threat. They fought their way into the semifinals before losing to UCLA. Hailey Hamlett is a name you’ll be hearing on the professional AVP circuit very soon.
- Florida State’s Consistency: The Seminoles are always there. They’ve made every single NCAA tournament. They fell to LSU earlier in the season but roared back to make the semifinals in Gulf Shores. Maddie Anderson is a stone-cold killer at the net.
- The All-Tournament Team: Only one Bruin made the cut—the Court 5 pair of Natalie Myszkowski and Ensley Alden. The rest of the list was dominated by the Women of Troy.
What This Means for the Future of Beach Volleyball
The 2024 season was the last hurrah for the Pac-12 as we know it. With the conference dissolving, the landscape of beach volleyball is going to get weird. USC and UCLA are headed to the Big Ten. Stanford is going to the ACC.
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How does that affect the championship?
Well, the travel is going to be a nightmare for these athletes. Imagine flying from Los Angeles to New Jersey for a mid-week dual and then trying to keep your sand legs for a weekend tournament. It’s going to test their endurance in a way the old regional schedule never did.
But honestly? The talent pool is getting deeper. More schools are investing in sand-only facilities. You’re seeing teams like Florida International (FIU) and Cal Poly start to take sets off the "Big Three." The gap is closing, even if the trophy stays in Los Angeles for now.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Players
If you're looking to follow the momentum from the NCAA women's beach volleyball championship 2024, here is how you stay ahead:
- Watch the AVP Pro Tour: Many of these 2024 seniors, like Megan Kraft and Lexy Denaburg, are transitioning to the pro ranks immediately. The chemistry they built in college often translates to early pro success.
- Track the Transfer Portal: With the conference realignments, expect a massive shuffle of talent this offseason. High-level players from mid-majors are going to be looking for that "national title" exposure at schools like USC or FSU.
- Study the "Small Ball" Game: If you're a player, watch the replays of the Nourse twins. They aren't the tallest players on the sand, but their ball control and court awareness are why they have multiple rings. It’s a masterclass in efficiency over raw power.
The 2024 championship wasn't just another win for USC; it was a statement that despite the format changes, the wind, and the rising competition, the road to the national title still runs through Heritage Hall.