By Darian Nourian
Former San Clemente High School girls’ volleyball All-American Alexa Strange, who was a Volleyball Magazine “Fab 50” selection as a senior indoor player for the Tritons, has decided to take her talents to the University of Southern California’s sand volleyball program.
Strange, who will be a sophomore this upcoming year, spent her freshman season at University of Nebraska-Lincoln playing on the Cornhuskers’ indoor team during the fall of 2012. She then joined the sand team in the spring of 2013.
While playing indoors, she appeared in 25 matches as an outside hitter and hit at a .309 clip with 25 kills, 55 digs, 15 assists, seven blocks and two aces. Nebraska advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division 1 tournament.
On the sand, she joined Kelsey Robinson on the No. 1 pairs team and went 6-3 in dual matches (7-5 overall).
Strange’s decision to leave Nebraska came at the end of the season and was influenced by multiple factors, including the desire to focus solely on sand volleyball.
“I wanted to be closer to home and just play sand, not indoor. I’m really excited to go to USC because it seems like the perfect fit for me,” Strange said.
She also has international experience on the beach. Playing alongside teammate Jace Pardon at the 2013 Fédération Internationale de Volleyball’s U21 World Championships in Croatia, the duo finished ninth overall.
With all of this experience on the sand, USC head sand volleyball coach Anna Collier is very excited to have Strange join the program.
“Alexa will be a huge asset to our team and we are delighted that she has become a Trojan,” Collier said. “Her years of national and international experience will help our entire team raise its level of play as we continue toward our goal of a national championship.”
Strange is eligible to compete in USC’s upcoming 2014 sand volleyball season.
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