March 21, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team battled back and forth with fourth-ranked Florida State on Saturday night but came up short, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Seminoles at the Carolina Sand Volleyball Complex.

With the loss, the Gamecocks fall to 10-3 on the season. Florida State improves to 9-3 on the year.

“I think we laid it out on the line tonight,” South Carolina head coach Moritz Moritz said. “I know some of our team struggled, but the only thing we asked of them tonight was to give full effort, and I think they did that. I’m pretty proud of the way they played tonight.”

Through the first wave of pairs, the Gamecocks and Seminoles each collected a point. Carolina took a 1-0 lead, as its No. 2 pair of Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent took down Florida State’s Sarah Wickstrom and Sierra Sanchez. Wickstrom and Sanchez claimed the first set, 21-19, but the Gamecocks’ senior tandem bounced back to win set two, 21-15. Wheeler and Kent then won the match with a 15-13 victory in the third set.

The Seminoles responded to tie the dual at 1-1, as Annie Montgomery and Vanessa Freire defeated Carolina’s No. 4 pair of Jade Hayes and Macie Tendrich by the scores of 23-25, 21-16 and 15-11.

Florida State then clinched the win with victories at No. 1 and No. 5. The Seminoles’ top pair of Kristina Pellitteri and Victoria Paranagua captured the point with a win over Carolina’s Maddie Frome and Julia Mannisto, 21-12 and 21-13. The Gamecocks’ No. 5 pair of KoKo Atoa-Williams and Allie Monserez fell in two sets to Katherine Plessy and Taylor Nyquist by the scores of 21-13 and 21-13.

Carolina’s No. 3 pair of Jade Vitt and Sarah Blomgren came close to giving the Gamecocks a second point. After Florida State’s Julie Brown and Melanie Pavels won the first set 21-18, Vitt and Blomgren forced a third set with a 21-18 win in set two. The pairs kept trading points late in the third set before Brown and Pavels came away with a 21-19 victory.

In the exhibition match, Florida State’s Blyss Harkness and Kayla Joyce defeated Carolina’s Erin Neuenfeldt and Litsa Darby, 21-14 and 21-12.

The Gamecocks will be back in action on Sunday against UAB. First serve is set for 3 p.m. at the Carolina Sand Volleyball Complex. The dual will be streamed live on the SEC Network+ digital platform.

Results
No. Florida State 4, South Carolina 1
No. 1: Kristina Pellitteri/Victoria/Paranagua (FSU) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-12, 21-13
No. 2: Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Sarah Wickstrom/Sierra Sanchez (FSU) 19-21, 21-15, 15-13
No. 3: Julie Brown/Melanie Pavels (FSU) def. Jade Vitt/Sarah Blomgren (SC) 21-18, 18-21, 21-19
No. 4: Annie Montgomery/Vanessa Freire (FSU) def. Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) 23-25, 21-16, 15-11
No. 5: Katherine Plessy/Taylor Nyquist (FSU) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 21-13, 21-13
Exh.: Blyss Harkness/Kayla Joyce (FSU) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/Litsa Darby (SC) 21-14, 21-12