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Two USC seniors will transition to the beach and represent the United States at an upcoming international beach volleyball tournament.
Outside attackers Lucas Yoder and Christopher Orenic will partner together and compete at the 2016 World University Championships that beginnings Wednesday in Estonia.
The Trojan pair is seeded No. 31 out of 32 teams in the tournament field. In addition, they will compete against teams from Estonia, Germany and England in the pool-play stage.
The top three teams in each of the eight pools at the World University Championships will advance to the elimination bracket round.
Yonder and Orenic qualified for the tournament after finishing in second place at the USA Volleyball Beach High Performance World University Championship Trials in June.
Yoder ended last season leading USC and in the nation’s top 40 with a 3.21 kills per game average. The 2014 MPSF Freshman of the Year returns to the beach after finishing in the top 25 at AVP Tour professional event in New York earlier this summer.
Orenic primarily coming off the beach for the Trojans last season played in 18 matches and had five aces, along with almost a .900 serve reception percentage. He also competed in the 2014 FIVB U21 Beach Volleyball World Championship and in high school won the 2010 AAU Beach Junior National Championships.
Yonder and Orenic are one of the two U.S. pairs in the tournament field. Former All-EIVA Harvard opposite Branden Clemens and former Concordia-Irvine setter Brendan Duff are seeded No. 23 at the World University Championships.
The two-day pool-play round at the World University Championships starts Wednesday and the opening round for the elimination stage of the tournament will starts Thursday.