March 15, 2015
ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team closed out the weekend in strong fashion, winning both of its duals at the UNF Sand Invitational on Sunday.
The Gamecocks opened the day with a 5-0 win over Florida Atlantic and then concluded the event with a 3-2 victory over Jacksonville at the St. Augustine Beach Pier. Carolina went 3-1 on the weekend to improve its record to 7-2 on the season.
Carolina’s No. 4 and No. 5 pairs gave the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead against Florida Atlantic. Playing at No. 5 for the first time this season, Jade Hayes and Macie Tendrich gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead, defeating Florida Atlantic’s Savannah Hicks and Gabby Pyle by the scores of 21-18 and 21-12.
In the No. 4 pairs match, KoKo Atoa-Williams and Allie Monserez made quick work of the Owls’ Delaney Clesen and Alyssa Warren in the first set, winning 21-8. The Gamecock duo went back and forth with Clesen and Warren in the second set before claiming a 25-23 win to give Carolina a 2-0 lead.
The Gamecocks’ No. 2 pair of Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent edged Florida Atlantic’s Gabby Dischler and Chelsey Tekavec in the first set 21-19. The senior tandem then cruised to a 21-9 win in set two to clinch the win for the Gamecocks.
Carolina’s No. 1 pair of Maddie Frome and Julia Mannisto and No. 3 pair of Jade Vitt and Sarah Blomgren then completed the sweep with wins in their matches. Frome and Mannisto dispatched Florida Atlantic’s Mandi McIntosh and Beth Shoaff by the scores of 21-17 and 21-17. Vitt and Blomgren defeated the Owls’ Andie Galinis and Brittany Pellitteri by the scores of 21-18 and 21-18.
In the dual with Jacksonville, Atoa-Williams and Monserez went back to No. 5 and kept their stellar weekend going, defeating the Dolphins Olga Nushtayeva and Shelby Babowicz by the scores of 21-14 and 21-15. Hayes and Tendrich then made it a perfect 8-0 weekend for the Carolina No. 4 and 5 pairs as they topped Jacksonville’s Lauren Gresham and Kenzie Swan by the scores of 21-14 and 22-20 to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead.
Frome and Mannisto lost at No. 1 to Kelly Koop and Sammie Strausbaugh by the scores of 21-19 and 21-14, making it a 2-1 contest.
However, Wheeler and Kent once again won the deciding point as they defeated Maya Prestes and Emily Laskelle, 21-12 and 21-16, to give the Gamecocks a 3-1 lead.
Jacksonville took the final point, as Cristina Finan and Jizzy Gesualdo defeated Vitt and Blomgren by the scores of 21-16 and 25-23.
The Gamecocks are set to host the Gamecocks Invitational March 20-22. Carolina will face Carson-Newman (3:30 p.m.) and Arizona State (7 p.m.) on Friday, Tulane (11:30 a.m.) and Florida State (7 p.m.) on Saturday and UAB (3 p.m.) on Sunday.
Results
South Carolina 5, Florida Atlantic 0
No. 1: Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) def. Mandi McIntosh/Beth Shoaff (FAU) 21-17, 21-17
No. 2: Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Gabby Dischler/Chelsey Tekavec (FAU) 21-19, 21-9
No. 3: Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) def. Andie Galinis/Brittany Pellitteri (FAU) 21-18, 21-18
No. 4: KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) def. Delaney Clesen/Alyssa Warren (FAU) 21-8, 25-23
No. 5: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Savannah Hicks/Gabby Pyle (FAU) 21-18, 21-12
South Carolina 3, Jacksonville 2
No. 1: Kelly Koop/Sammie Strausbaugh (JU) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-19, 21-14
No. 2: Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Maya Prestes/Emily Laskelle (JU) 21-12, 21-16
No. 3: Cristina Finan/Jizzy Gesualdo (JU) def. Jade Vitt/Sarah Blomgren (SC) 21-16, 25-23
No. 4: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Lauren Gresham/Kenzie Swan (SC) 21-14, 22-20
No. 5: KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) def. Olga Nushtayeva/Shelby Babowicz (JU) 21-14, 21-15
