COLUMBIA, S.C. -- No. 17 Georgia State fell in two battles to top-10 opposition during the first day of the Gamecock Grand Slam hosted by the University of South Carolina. First, the Sandy Panthers were bested by No. 2 FSU before being narrowly edged out by No. 9 TCU.
During the morning session GSU faced the Seminoles for the second time this season. The CCSA foe jumped to the lead with victories on the top two flights over veteran pairs Eden Hawes and Maddy Delmonte and Olivia Stasevich and Mattie Johnson. Despite falling behind early, GSU remained composed and battled for each point on the remaining courts. All three flights split action in the first two sets to force a third frame. FSU would surpass Elise Saga and Becky Tresham to clinch the team victory. The Seminoles would collect additional points with victories on courts three and four to earn the 5-0 result.
In the second outing of the day, Georgia State battled TCU, also for the second time this season. The Sandy Panthers were eager to improve upon their last meeting, where the Horned Frogs emerged victorious 4-1. GSU fell behind early with losses in positions one and two. The Ferary sisters would register their fourth win over ranked opposition to close the deficit. Once again GSU engaged in a nail-biting finale as flights three and four were forced to a third frame. The CCSA rival would eventually outlast Kelly Dorn and Kate Novack on the third court to clinch the team victory before Maddie Gordon and Meagan McCall added to the GSU point total with a court four victory.
"These are the days that make sports thrilling for the athletes and the observers - regardless of the outcome," said head coach Beth Van Fleet. "We love to experience the fight, the grit, the problem solving, and the team unity."
Today's results drop GSU to 14-8 on the season. With their victory over No. 9 TCU, the Ferary sisters have registered 10 wins this season. The rookies join Hawes and Delmonte (11) and Stasevich and Johnson (10) as the three pairs with 10-plus wins so far.
"Some days your team finishes three points ahead and other days you are three points behind. The outcome is largely uncontrollable, so how we conduct ourselves in competition is where we set our focus," said Van Fleet. "As a coaching staff, we are proud of how these incredible young women competed as a team today. We showed up ready to play, excited to support each other, and hungry to fight for each point."
The Sandy Panthers return to the sand tomorrow to square-off against No. 16 Stetson and host No. 15 South Carolina both for the first time this year. The action begins at 3:00 p.m. against the Hatters. Fans can follow along via live stats and streaming via Periscope on our Twitter feed.
For the latest news and notes from the sand, follow Georgia State beach volleyball on Instagram and Twitter (@GSUBeachVB).
