TALLAHASSEE (April 6, 2024) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team concluded day two of the FSU Unconquered Invitational with a 4-1 win over No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday afternoon — earning the first win over a ranked opponent in program history.
 
Prior to Saturday, North Alabama had an 0-14 record against ranked opponents. Also, as an athletic program, UNA's beach volleyball win against No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi marks the first over a nationally ranked Division I team since women's basketball defeated ranked FGCU in 2020.
 
UNA also battled another ranked opponent in No. 16 Florida Atlantic, falling 3-2 in a tight battle. The Lions have now played six nationally ranked opponents this season and 12 over the last two years.
 
After a challenging opening day Friday, the Lions took home six flight wins for a total of seven across the weekend. Graduate Paula Klemperer and senior Taylor Seney returned to their winning ways with a 2-0 day, while graduate Mackenzie Martin and junior Ryenne Gepford finished with three total wins after going 2-0. Junior Katy Floyd and sophomore Selma Robinson earned a win against the Islanders along with senior Jelena Girod and sophomore Sarah Larkin Lewis to round out the action from Florida.
 
On top of the historic win, Klemperer achieved a career milestone in her opening match against No. 16 FAU. She extended her program record of individual career wins, winning her 75th match to add to her illustrious UNA career.
 
North Alabama will return to Florence with a 15-9 record while 4-3 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. FAU finished with two wins to move to 14-13, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dropped their three matches to fall to 24-7.
 
Match 1 — FAU 3, North Alabama 2
 
The Lions were able to get two wins in the opening match but came short of their first ranked win against the Owls.
 
UNA picked up wins from flight one and three, with Martin and Gepford winning their second match of the invitational. The two opened the first set by fending off FAU's Brooklyn Goedhart and Sydney Schroder, taking the opening set 21-19. A convincing 21-14 second set by Martin and Gepford led to the pair's 12th win of the season.
 
Klemperer and Seney marked their return to the win column with a three-set battle against the Owls' Marketa Svozilova and Sloane Woolwine. UNA's top flight edged FAU 21-19 in the first set, but a 27-25 second-set win by Svozilova and Woolwine led to a deciding final frame. Klemperer and Seney held strong for a 15-11 triumph in the third for their 14th win from flight one.
 
FAU took the remaining flights two, four and five in straight sets, but two came in competitive bouts. Floyd and Robinson's loss was decided by nine total points, falling to Ashleigh Adams and Julie Honzovicova, 21-16, 21-17.
 
Junior Jelena Girod and sophomore Sarah Larkin Lewis kept it close against FAU's Kate McLaughlin and Logan Mignerey but were narrowly defeated, 21-17, 21-18.
 

1. Klemperer/Seney (UNA) def. Svozilova/Woolwine (FAU) 21-19, 25-27, 15-11
2. Adams/Honzovicova (FAU) def. Floyd/Robinson (UNA) 21-16, 21-17
3. Martin/Gepford (UNA) def. Goedhart/Schroder (FAU) 21-19, 21-14
4. Law-Heese/Moon (FAU) def. Austin/Holbrook (UNA) 21-12, 21-13
5. McLaughlin/Mignerey (FAU) def. Girod/Lewis (UNA) 21-17, 21-18

 
 
Match 2 — North Alabama 4, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1
 
The first ranked win in UNA Beach Volleyball history came in convincing fashion against the Islanders.
 
The Lions took the top three flights with Girod and Lewis picking up a win from the fifth flight. Their first win of weekend came in a three-set battle against Elizabeth Cortez and Kela Moreno, battling to a 17-21, 21-14, 15-13 triumph over the Islanders' pair.
 
Martin and Gepford continued rolling on day two with their third-straight victory, winning 21-11, 21-19 in the third flight.
 
The top two flights came down to three-set battles. Klemperer and Seney had a slow start in their opening frame, narrowly dropping the first set, 21-19. The two responded with a 21-16 win in the second set before a competitive third saw UNA's top flight take the match with a 15-13 result.
 
Floyd and Robinson completed the day on high note, but the Islanders' Cassie Dodd and Chloe Tome did not go down with a fight. UNA's second flight won the opening set in a tiebreaker, 22-20, before Dodd and Tome forced a third set with a 21-19 second set. Floyd and Robinson were able to hold on for the win in 15-10 third set victory.
 

1. Klemperer/Seney (UNA) def. Bobay/Morrow (TAMCC) 19-21, 21-16, 15-13
2. Floyd/Robinson (UNA) def. Dodd/Tome (TAMCC) 22-20, 19-21, 15-10
3. Gepford/Martin (UNA) def. Doyle/Young (TAMCC) 21-11, 21-19
4. Johnson/Jordan (TAMCC) def. Austin/Holbrook (UNA) 17-21, 21-19, 15-9
5. Girod/Lewis (UNA) def. Cortez/Moreno (TAMCC) 17-21, 21-14, 15-13

 
 
COMING UP NEXT
 
North Alabama continues on with a third-straight road series at the Blazer Beach Bash from April 13-14. The Lions are set to face hosts UAB, along with Southern Miss and Mercer in non-conference action.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.