Gamecocks Drop 4-1 Decision to Jacksonville
March 29, 2014
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team battled back and forth with Jacksonville before losing to the Dophins 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at the FSU Sand Volleyball Complex.
Three of the five matches went to three sets, while the points for courts three and four went on the board early. Jacksonville claimed the point at No. 4 to take a 1-0 lead, as the Dolphins’ Gabreila Roman and Mayara Prestes defeated South Carolina’s Chynna Ratner and Litsa Darby by the scores of 21-17 and 21-8.
The Gamecocks (4-8) bounced back to tie the dual at 1-1, as Jordan Loney and Jade Vitt cruised past Jacksonville’s Lauren Homrich and Hannah McMahon in the first set, 21-9, and squeaked out a 21-19 win in set two to claim the point.
After losing the first set on court No. 5 21-18, South Carolina’s KoKo Atoa-Williams and Erin Neuenfeldt responded with a 21-9 win in the second set over Alyssa Robertson and Emily Laskelle. However, Robertson and Laskelle gave Jacksonville a 2-1 lead with a 15-6 win in the third set.
The Dolphins (4-11) clinched the win in the No. 1 pairs match. South Carolina’s Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent took the first set over Taylor Nyquist and Sammie Strausbaugh, 21-12, before losing the second set 21-15. In the third set, Wheeler and Kent were unable to make a comeback, as Nyquist and Strausbaugh won 15-9 to give the Dolphins a 3-1 advantage.
On court No. 2, the Gamecock duo of Mikaela Christiaansen and Sarah Blomgren fought point for point with Jacksonville’s Kendall Courtney and Niatha Cullen. Blomgren and Christiaansen captured a 21-19 win in the first set before Courtney and Cullen evened the match with a 21-18 win in set two. Courtney and Cullen pulled away late in the third set to win 15-12, giving Jacksonville a 4-1 win.
The Gamecocks will wrap up Saturday with a match against LSU at 4 p.m.
Results
Jacksonville 4, South Carolina 1
No. 1 Taylor Nyquist/Sammie Strausbaugh (JU) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 12-21, 21-15, 15-9
No. 2 Kendall Courtney/Niatha Cullen (JU) def. Mikaela Christiaansen/Sarah Blomgren (SC) 19-21, 21-18. 15-12
No. 3 Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt (SC) def. Lauren Homrich/Hannah McMahon (JU) 21-9, 21-19
No. 4 Gabriela Roman/Mayara Prestes (JU) def. Chynna Ratner/Litsa Darby (SC) 21-17, 21-8
No. 5 Alyssa Robertson/Emily Laskelle (JU) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/Koko Atoa-Williams (SC) 21-18, 9-21, 15-6
