Beach Volleyball 4/28/2022 7:03:00 PM

Panthers Secure Back-to-Back Victories in First Day at C-USA Championship

Beach Volleyball 4/28/2022 7:03:00 PM

Panthers Secure Back-to-Back Victories in First Day at C-USA Championship

Huntsville, Ala.— Entering the first day of competition at the inaugural 2022 Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship, the No. 15 ranked Georgia State beach volleyball team defeated opponents No. 6 seed Southern Miss and second-seeded No. 13 FIU in back-to-back dual matches on Thursday. The Panthers will return to play in Huntsville on Friday, April 29 facing top-seeded No. 10 Florida Atlantic at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The seven-team, double-elimination tournament saw GSU open match play facing Southern Miss for the first time this spring. Top pair Kelly Dorn and Elise Saga downed opponents on court one, 21-16, 21-9, earning the Panthers the first point of the dual.

Angel Ferary and Bella Ferary collected a win in straight sets, 21-16, 21-5, and moved to 32 wins on the season. The sisters enter the weekend having received All-Conference USA First-Team honors on Wednesday.

Eden Hawes and Maddy Delmonte won at the second flight, 21-10, 22-20, earning GSU a 3-0 advantage. After dropping a close three-set match on court No. 3, the Panthers closed out Thursday's first dual with a victory, 21-14, 15-21, 15-13, from Chloee Kleespies and Becky Tresham on court five as GSU defeated Southern Miss, 4-1.

The backend of Thursday's tournament slate saw GSU battle No. 13 FIU in the second round. The Panthers had previously fallen to the conference foe, 3-2, earlier in the year.

Kleespies and Tresham followed up the pair's first victory with an additional win in straight sets, 21-15, 21-15, earning the Panthers a point and the early lead, 1-0. Kayla Whetstone and Yasmin Kuck teamed in the third flight and posted a win, 21-19, 21-16, moving the dual match score to 2-0 in GSU's favor.

Hawes and Delmonte secured a second win on court two, 15-21, 21-12, 16-14, extending the team's lead, 3-0. After dropping a competitive three-set dual at the top flight, the Ferary duo collected a final point for GSU and finished the day unbeaten with a 33rd victory for the season, 21-23, 21-17, 15-13, at flight four as the Panthers closed out the first day of competition.

With the fourth point, the Panthers defeated the second-seeded No. 13 FIU, 4-1, and improved to 24-11 for the season.

The third-seeded Panthers will return to tournament play at John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex in Huntsville on Friday for a rematch with No. 1 seed No. 10 FAU at 2:30 p.m. ET. GSU has fallen to FAU in its previous two outings facing the conference opponent.

Dual matches played on Friday will be streamed on Varsity Sports Now with links posted to the team's social media and online schedule page. Additional information regarding the C-USA tournament and the Panthers' third dual match can be found on the web using the links provided.

Follow @GSUBeachVB on Twitter and Instagram for continued news and announcements throughout the weekend.

C-USA Beach Volleyball Championship- Day One Recap

Match 1:
(4) UAB 4, (7) Coastal Carolina 1

P1 Rachel Tam/Adraina Pereira (UAB) def. Martine Kragholm/Saarah Riedell (CC) 21-15, 21-16
P2 Arden Copping/Mikayla Law-Heese (UAB) def. Irena Drobnjak/Ellie Hanford (CC) 23-21, 17-21, 18-16
P3 Naomi Ortiz/Dylynn Otte (UAB) def. Natalie Honzovicova/Elena Sanchez (CC) 21-18, 21-14
P4 Jenna Gathright/Emma Andraka (UAB) def. Madie Lichty/Madison Allred (CC) 21-14, 26-24
P5 Carli Ginther/Raychel Ehlers (CC) def. Jessica Ennis/Ella Alexander (UAB) 21-19, 21-16
Order of Finish 3, 1, 4, 5, 2

Match 2:
(2) FIU 5, (7) ULM 0

P1 Paige Kalkhoff/Giada Bianchi (FIU) def. Audrey Brooks/Kayla Gallant (ULM) 21-13, 21-10
P2 Roberta Ribeiro/Rocky Mancinelli (FIU) def. Julia Blazek/Rylin Adams (ULM) 26-24, 21-14
P3 Emily Meyer/Zuza Bialek (FIU) def. Elizabeth Moreland/Brooke Hoven (ULM) 21-13, 21-17
P4 Kendall Mather/Lisa Luini (FIU) def. Kaitlyn Nowak/ Avery Reynolds (ULM) 21-8, 21-13
P5 Gina Lipscomb/Anna Davis (FIU) def. Abigail Elder/Abbey Bufkin (ULM) 21-12, 16-21, 15-10
Order of Finish 1, 3, 4, 2, 5

Match 3:
(3) GSU 4, (6) Southern Miss 1

P1 Kelly Dorn/Elisa Saga (GSU) def. Breleigh Favre/Aleksandra Kudzik (USM) 21-16, 21-9
P2 Eden Hawes/Maddy Delmonte (GSU) def. Vanessa Hurnikova/Konstance Garraway (USM) 21-10, 22-20
P3 Taylor Pierce/Olivia Hepworth (USM) def. Kayla Whetstone/Yasmin Kuck (GSU) 13-21, 21-16, 15-12
P4 Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary (GSU) def. Hallie Phelan/Valeria Siakidou (USM) 21-16, 21-5
P5 Chloee Kleepsies/Becky Tresham (GSU) def. Carmen Delgado/Kai Norman (USM) 21-14, 15-21, 15-13
Order of Finish 1, 4, 2, 3, 5

Match 4:
(1) Florida Atlantic 4, (4) UAB 1

P1 Erica Brok/Mackenzie Morris (FAU) def. Rachel Tam/Adraina Pereira (UAB) 21-16, 21-8
P2 Arden Copping/Mikayla Law-Heese (UAB) def. Courtney Moon/Marketa Svozilova (FAU) 21-18, 21-18
P3 Ellie Austin/Julie Honzvicova (FAU) def Naomi Ortiz/Dylynn Otte (UAB) 21-18, 21-11
P4 Jillienne Candelosi/Christine Jarman (FAU) def. Jenna Gathright/Emma Andraka (UAB) 21-11, 21-16
P5 Logan Mignerey/Mica Allison (FAU) def. Jessica Ennis/Ella Alexander (UAB) 13-21, 21-17, 15-10
Order of Finish 1, 3, 4, 2, 5

Match 5:
(3) GSU 4, (2) FIU 1

P1 Paige Kalkhoff/Giada Bianchi (FIU) def. Kelly Dorn/Elise Saga (GSU) 17-21, 21-18, 17-15
P2 Eden Hawes/Maddy Delmonte (GSU) def. Roberta Ribeiro/Rocky Mancinelli (FIU) 15-21, 21-12, 16-14
P3 Kayla Whetstone/Yasmin Kuck (GSU) def. Emily Meyer/Zuza Bialek (FIU) 21-19, 21-16
P4 Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary (GSU) def. Kendall Mather/Lisa Luini (FIU) 21-23, 21-17, 15-13
P5 Chloee Kleepsies/Becky Tresham (GSU) def. Gina Lipscomb/Anna Davis (FIU) 21-15, 21-15
Order of Finish 5, 3, 2, 1, 4

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