GULF SHORES, Ala. – Vanguard beach volleyball continued play at the AVCA Division II Championships on Friday, splitting a pair of matches in Challenge Round 1. The Lions lost to top-ranked CUI, but rebounded for a 3-2 win against Florida Southern.
VU came up short in a bid for a third straight national title as the team failed to advance to the Gold Bracket. However, the Blue and Gold was placed in the Silver Bracket, where they will have a chance to become that bracket's champion on Saturday.
The Lions will play the winner of Wayne State and Eckerd College at 10:10 a.m. (PT). If they win that contest, they will compete for the Silver Bracket title against either Saint Leo, Florida Southern or Carson-Newman.
Top-ranked CUI defeated VU for the third time this season, winning at three spots to clinch the victory. The Lions answered against a tough Florida Southern outfit, getting wins at the ones, twos and fours.
CUI 3, Vanguard 0
Kelissa Lemoine and Sara Ostojic handed Emma Galloway and Thea Snider a 21-10, 21-11 defeat at the ones.Â
At the twos, Korah Nordin and Gabrielle Reinking won by identical 21-12, 21-12 scores over Paige Cutwright and Madison Arnold.
The Golden Eagles clinched the match at the fives, where Nicole Miller and Ashley Rossi triumphed by 21-13, 21-12 scores against Logan Daniels and Natalie Hill.
Matches at the threes and fours were abandoned once CUI had won.
Vanguard 3, Florida Southern 2
In a windy battle between two evenly matched teams, the Lions prevailed to drop the Mocs to 21-13 on the season.
Vanguard won a lengthy battle in three sets at the twos to move on.
Galloway and Snider went to extra points in the second set to down Ashli McKenny and Emma Winford by 21-16, 25-23 scores.
The fours pair of Cassie Smits Van Oyen and Gianna Pecile also experienced a tight battle, knocking off Hailey Carefoot and Isabella Muti, 24-22, 21-18.
The Mocs earned two points, winning at the fives as Mary Olivia Muti and Hayley St. Martin posted a 21-16, 21-11 victory against Daniels and Hill.
Katie Alexander and Anne Mayfield were embroiled in a tight affair at the threes, taking the middle set but ultimately falling to Reagan Carlton and Zoe Lowe, 21-16, 18-21, 15-7.
But the Lions turned the tables at the twos, as Cutwright and Arnold clinched the team win with a huge 21-15, 17-21, 15-13 triumph versus Nicole Eden and Sydney Melcher.Â
What Was Said?: "What a great battle in the wind," said Head Coach Kris Dorn. "Two teams from opposite coasts and it finished with both the three pair and two pair in the third set. A strong comeback by the 2's got us to move on! For being our first experience here we're proud of how our ladies are competing."
What's Next?: If the Lions win their match against Wayne State or Eckerd College, the championship bout will take place at 12:30 p.m. (PT).
