SAN BRUNO, Calif. – For the third straight season, Pepperdine was selected to become West Coast Conference Women's Beach Volleyball champions in a poll of the league coaches. The Waves, who enter the season ranked No. 4 in the AVCA Preseason Poll, are seeking their fourth consecutive WCC title. The Portland Pilots beach volleyball program was selected to finish sixth.
 
During the 2018 season, Portland continued to make strides by earning victories against Sacramento State, Oregon and WCC opponent Santa Clara. Their third win came during the WCC Championships against the Broncos, where the Pilots won three out of the five pairs.
 
This season the Pilots will return 2's pair junior Katie Barker and graduate student Morgan Robinson. Barker is coming off her best season on The Bluff, and was named to the All-WCC Honorable Mention Team for her performance indoors in the Fall.

The Pilots made program history during the offseason, adding Australian standout Sarah Strong to their roster: Strong is the first four-year beach volleyball player to commit with the Pilots. She's previously competed at the international level on the beach for three years, and was ranked in the top-20 at the U19 World Championships.

The 2018 West Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Championships will be held at Ocean Beach Park in Santa Monica, California. The tournament runs April 20-21.

2019 WCC Preseason Beach Volleyball Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Vote) - Pts.
1. Pepperdine (6) – 36
2. Saint Mary's (1) – 30
3. Loyola Marymount – 27
4. San Francisco – 18
5. Pacific – 17
6. Portland – 11
7. Santa Clara – 8
 
2019 All-WCC Preseason Beach Volleyball Team
Name, Institution, Yr.
Brook Bauer, Pepperdine, So.
Emily Bible, Saint Mary's, Sr.
Sarah Chase, Saint Mary's, Jr.
Anna Dalla Vecchia, San Francisco, So.
Heidi Dyer, Pepperdine, Sr.
Lindsey Knudsen, Saint Mary's, Sr.
Sara Kovac, Loyola Marymount, Sr.
Deahna Kraft, Pepperdine, Jr.
Jessie Prichard, Loyola Marymount, Jr.
Savannah Slattery, Loyola Marymount, Jr.