The first weekend of the 2017 beach volleyball season is jam-packed with top-15 matches, with the opening matches of the season to begin on Thursday, March 2.
#1-ranked and reigning NCAA Champions USC have a tough start to their season, beginning with two top-five teams in #3 UCLA and #4 Pepperdine. The Women of Troy are looking to accomplish the same goal that they had last season – win a national championship – according to their coach, and they’ll have to prove that early.
Of the tournaments being hosted this opening weekend of beach play, the Stetson Spring Break Invitational has three top-10 teams competing in #2 Florida State, #9 Stetson and #10 LSU, also joining the strong contenders is Florida Atlantic who received votes to make the top-15, but not enough to crack it. The Arizona Invitational will prove to be a tough go-around as #5 Hawaii and #6 Arizona make up half the participants.
Arizona Invitational
- Friday, March 3
- #5 Hawaii vs. #6 Arizona
- #5 Hawaii vs. Arizona State
- #6 Arizona vs. Hawaii Pacific
- #6 Arizona vs. Jacksonville
- Arizona State vs. Jacksonville
- Saturday, March 4
- #5 Hawaii vs. Jacksonville
- #6 Arizona vs. Arizona State
Blazer Beach Duals
- Friday, March 3
- Jacksonville State vs. Mercer
- Jacksonville State vs. UAB
- Saturday, March 4
- #15 Tulane vs. Jacksonville State
- #15 Tulane vs. UAB
- Louisiana-Monroe vs. Mercer
- Louisiana-Monroe vs. Jacksonville State
- Sunday, March 5
- #15 Tulane vs. Louisiana-Monroe
- Louisiana-Monroe vs. UAB
Stetson Spring Break Invitational
- Saturday, March 4
- #9 Stetson vs. Florida Atlantic
- #2 Florida State vs. #9 Stetson
- #2 Florida State vs. #10 LSU
- #10 LSU vs. Florida Atlantic
- Sunday, March 5
- #9 Stetson vs. #10 LSU
UNF Beach Invitational
- Saturday, March 4
- South Carolina vs. Spring Hill
- North Florida vs. Spring Hill
- Charleston vs. Spring Hill
- #8 Georgia State vs. UNCW
- #11 FIU vs. South Carolina
- Charleston vs. UNCW
- #11 FIU vs. Northern Florida
- Charleston vs. North Florida
- North Florida vs. UNCW
- Sunday, March 5
- #8 Georgia State vs. North Florida
- North Florida vs. South Carolina
- South Carolina vs. Charleston
- #11 FIU vs. Charleston
- #8 Georgia State vs. Spring Hill
- Spring Hill vs. UNCW
- #11 FIU vs. UNCW
Independent matches
- Thursday, March 2
- #11FIU vs. Florida Atlantic
- #11 FIU vs. Webber International
- Florida Atlantic vs. Webber International
- Cal Poly vs. CSU Bakersfield
- #3 UCLA vs. CSU Bakersfield
- #3 UCLA vs. Cal Poly
- Pacific vs. San Jose State
- Friday, March 3
- #12 Grand Canyon vs. New Mexico
- #12 Grand Canyon vs. Colorado Mesa
- New Mexico vs. Loyola Marymount
- Colorado Mesa vs. Loyola Marymount
- Mo. Baptist vs. Principia
- Saturday, March 4
- #13 Stanford vs. Santa Clara
- #7 Long Beach State vs. CSU Bakersfield
- #3 UCLA vs. #4 Pepperdine
- #12 Grand Canyon vs. Colorado Mesa
- #13 Stanford vs. Cal Poly
- Stevenson vs. Principia
- Oregon vs. Portland
- #14 California vs. St. Mary’s (Cal.)
- San Jose State vs. San Francisco
- #12 Grand Canyon vs. New Mexico
- Colorado Mesa vs. Loyola Marymount
- Santa Clara vs. St. Mary’s (Cal.)
- Mo. Baptist vs. Principia
- #14 California vs. Pacific
- Colorado Mesa vs. New Mexico
- #5 Hawaii vs. #12 Grand Canyon
- Warner Southern vs. Eckerd
- #1 USC vs. #3 UCLA
- Pacific vs. Cal Poly
- Eckerd vs. Webber International
- #1 USC vs. #4 Pepperdine
- Sunday, March 5
- Santa Clara vs. Pacific
- St. Mary’s (Cal.) vs. Cal Poly
- #14 California vs. Santa Clara
- #14 California vs. Cal Poly
- #13 Stanford vs. St. Mary’s (Cal.)
- #13 Stanford vs. Pacific
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