April 11, 2015

SIESTA KEY, Fla. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team proved to be one of the strongest squads at the Fiesta on Siesta Key Pairs Tournament on Saturday with several solid performances from each of its pairs.

The Gamecocks combined to post a 17-13 record in pool play with pairs competing in the Fiesta on Siesta Pairs Competition and the Fiesta on Siesta Team Cup.

Carolina’s senior tandem of Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent led the way, finishing the day with a 3-0 record. Wheeler and Kent opened the competition with a win over Stetson’s Kristin Lind and Maren Rygh by the scores of 16-21, 21-18 and 15-7. The duo collected its second win by defeating College of Charleston’s Bailey Humes and Grace Rebarchak, 21-18 and 21-9. In their final match of the day, Wheeler and Kent took down Jacksonville’s Emily Laskelle and Maya Prestes by the scores of 21-19 and 24-22 to earn a spot in the gold bracket on Sunday.

Five of the Gamecocks’ nine remaining pairs went 2-1 in pool play. After losing their first match to Stetson’s Julie Bassett and Mel Melville, Maddie Frome and Julia Mannisto picked up wins over College of Charleston’s Lizzie Theesfeld and Maddie Hills (21-16, 21-17) and Jacksonville’s Cristina Finan and Lauren Gresham (21-4, 21-16).

In the Team Cup pool play, Carolina’s Jade Hayes and Macie Tendrich went 2-1, recording wins over FIU’s Alex Lilliquist and Mo Crawley (25-18) and Florida Gulf Coast’s Sydney Ferguson and Katie Gutmann (25-16).

In their first action this season for the Gamecocks, Shiloh Burgreen and Colleen Nosovitch finished the day with a pair of wins, topping St. Catharine’s No. 2 pair (25-16) and Webber International’s Lindsey Knight and Katie Schueman (26-24).

Abby Feruck and Zuzanna Reszka tallied wins over Principia’s Jess Bushong and Sierra Sprague (25-16) and St. Catharine College’s No. 3 pair (25-12).

Carolina’s Haley Guyton and Jordan Wilson-Talmadge delivered victories over North Florida’s Emily Devanzo and Ebony Gunn (25-21) and UAB’s Anna Messisco and Gabbi Moreno (25-23).

The Gamecock pairs of Litsa Darby and Erin Neuenfeldt, Katie McCormick and Helen Recaborde, KoKo Atoa-Williams and Allie Monserez and Sarah Blomgren and Jade Vitt recorded one win each in pool play.

In the Fiesta on Siesta Team Cup bracket play, Hayes and Tendrich secured a spot in the gold bracket and won their first-round match, defeating Stetson’s Erika White and Danika Yoder by the score of 25-17. However, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, falling to Stetson’s Madison Akins and Kaylee Anderson by the score of 25-18.

The Gamecock pairs of Darby and Neuenfeldt and Atoa-Williams and Monserez both advanced in the bronze bracket with wins in the first round to set up an all South Carolina quarterfinal. Darby and Neuenfeldt won a back and forth contest as they defeated Atoa-Williams and Monserez by the score of 28-26 to advance to the semifinals. However, Florida State’s Karlie Hauer and Meghan Conway eliminated Darby and Neuenfeldt with a 25-19 win in the semifinal.

The Gamecocks will wrap up play at the Fiesta on Siesta Key on Sunday with action beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Fiesta on Siesta Pairs Competition Pool Play (Full Match)
Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Kristin Lind/Maren Rygh (SU) 16-21, 21-18, 15-7
Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Bailey Humes/Grace Rebarchak (CofC) 21-18, 21-9
Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Emily Laskelle/Maya Prestes (JU) 21-19, 24-22

Julie Bassett/Mel Melville (SU) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-11, 21-12
Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) def. Lizzie Theesfeld/Maddie Hills (CofC) 21-16, 21-17
Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) def. Cristina Finan/Lauren Gresham (JU) 21-4, 21-16

Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) def. Kelly Koop/Sammie Strausbaugh (JU) 21-15, 16-21, 15-8
Melissa Morello/Catey Warren (CofC) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 21-15, 18-21, 20-18
Savannah Byl/Holly Reschke (SU) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 21-17, 21-15

Fiesta on Siesta Team Cup Pool Play (One Set to 25)
KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) def. Shelby Barnett/Hanna McMahon (JU) 25-8
Blyss Harkness/Kayla Joyce (FSU) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 25-14
Olivia Mesner/Madi Wilcox (FGCU) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 25-22

Rachel Arnason/Celine Flores (ULM) def. Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) 27-25
Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Alex Lilliquist/Mo Crawley (FIU) 25-18
Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Sydney Ferguson/Katie Gutmann (FGCU) 25-16

Claudia Kalin/Madison Tormey (SU) def. Katie McCormick/Helen Recaborde (SC) 25-15
Katie McCormick/Helen Recaborde (SC) def. Mackenzie Redner/Jordan Trimble (ECK) 25-19
Savvy Davis/Naty Giron (FIU) def. Katie McCormick/Helen Recaborde (SC) 25-10

Claire Crossfield/Alannah Cullum (ULM) def. Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfeldt (SC) 25-20
Miah Diirell/Sarah Strasner (TU) def. Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfeldt (SC) 25-17
Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfeldt (SC) def. St. Catharine College No. 5 Pair 25-7

Shiloh Burgreen/Colleen Nosovitch (SC) def. St. Catharine College No. 2 Pair 25-16
Julie Brown/Katherine Plessy (FSU) def. Shiloh Burgreen/Colleen Nosovitch (SC) 25-8
Shiloh Burgreen/Colleen Nosovitch (SC) def. Lindsey Knight/Katie Schueman (WEB) 26-24

Abby Feruck/Zuzanna Reszka (SC) def. Jess Bushong/Sierra Sprague (PC) 25-16
Kris Monforte/Summer Nash (FIU) def. Abby Feruck/Zuzanna Reszka (SC) 25-21
Abby Feruck/Zuzanna Reszka (SC) def. St. Catharine College No. 3 Pair 25-12

Haley Guyton/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) def. Emily Devanzo/Ebony Gunn (UNF) 25-21
Haley Guyton/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) def. Anna Messisco/Gabbi Moreno (UAB) 25-23
Natalie Fraley/Savanah Hicks (FAU) def. Haley Guyton/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) 25-23

Fiesta on Siesta Team Cup Bracket Play (One Set to 25)
Gold Bracket
First Round
Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Erika White/Danika Yoder (SU) 25-17

Quarterfinals
Madison Akins/Kaylee Anderson (SU) def. Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) 25-18

Silver Bracket
First Round
Estephanie Bethancourt/Anabela Sataric (FIU) def. Abby Feruck/Zuzanna Reszka (SC) NS
Claudia Kalin/Madison Tormey (SU) def. Shiloh Burgreen/Colleen Nosovitch (SC) 25-18
Milica Kubara/Julia Thompson (FSU) def. Haley Guyton/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) 25-18

Bronze Bracket
First Round
Karlie Hauer/Meghan Conway (FSU) def. Katie McCormick/Helen Recaborde (SC) 25-14
KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) def. College of Charleston No. 6 Pair NS
Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfeldt (SC) def. College of Charleston No. 5 Pair 25-16

Quarterfinals
Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfeldt (SC) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 28-26

Semifinals
Karlie Hauer/Meghan Conway (FSU) def. Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfeldt (SC) 25-19