FLORENCE, Ala. (March 8, 2024) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team concluded day one of the UNA Invitational with two wins, beating Carson Newman 4-1 and Jacksonville State 5-0 in the home opener.
Playing in the friendly confines of the UNA Beach Volleyball Courts, North Alabama opened the invitational with the win over the Eagles before blanking the Gamecocks to start 2-0 in round robin play.
The Lions put on a show for the home crowd with the dominant display, with 13 different players from North Alabama earning a win on the day. UNA heads into day two with the hopes of finishing undefeated in a weekend event for the first time this season.
UNA's overall record stands at 7-3 after day one, with Carson Newman capping the day at 11-3 and Jacksonville State off to a 0-2 start to the weekend.
Match 1 — North Alabama 4, Carson Newman 1
The Lions got off to a solid start while showing off their depth, defeating the Eagles in the opening match of the invitational. Four of UNA's wins came in straight sets, with North Alabama's third-court pair needing three to take down Carson Newman for their sixth win of the season.
Junior Katy Floyd and sophomore Selma Robinson got the nod at the top flight, and they did not disappoint, defeating the Eagles' Sierra Still and Truth Hafey, 21-11, 21-9, to get the festivities started. The court two pairing of junior Ryenne Gepford and graduate Mackenzie Martin were victorious in their opener with a 21-6, 21-10 result against Jenny Ille and Ava Fountain.
In the only three-set match, sophomore Grace Austin and graduate Kaitlyn Holbrook's match needed to be decided with the extra set after winning the first but dropping the second. UNA's number three pair won the opening set, 21-11, before Paige Halcrow and Mckenna Hall of Carson Newman tied the scoring by taking the second, 21-18. Austin/Holbrook would hold on in the third set to beat the Eagles pair, 15-7.
The final team point came from court five, with senior Jelena Girod and sophomore Sarah Larkin Lewis taking the 21-14, 21-15 win against Trinity Hafey and Kat Nelson.
In extras, sophomore Abby Robertson and sophomore Christian Mitchell won 21-12, 21-17, over the Eagles' Paige Bussom and Bennett McCombs.
Court 1: Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) def. Sierra Still/Truth Hafey (CN), 21-11, 21-9
Court 2: Ryenne Gepford/Mackenzie Martin (UNA) def. Jenny Ille/Ava Fountain (CN), 21-6, 21-10
Court 3: Grace Austin/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA) def. Paige Halcrow/Mckenna Hall (CN), 21-11, 18-21, 15-7
Court 4: Morgan Foy/Camryn Ehlers (CN) def. Martha McLaurin/Kati Anderson (UNA), 21-17, 21-10
Court 5: Jelena Girod/Sarah Larkin Lewis (UNA) def. Trinity Hafey/Kat Nelson (CN), 21-14, 21-15
Extra: Abby Robertson/Christian Mitchell (UNA) def. Paige Bussom/Bennett McCombs (CN), 21-12, 21-17
Match 2 — North Alabama 5, Jacksonville State 0
Facing rivals Jacksonville State, the Lions capped their day with a flawless sweep over the Gamecocks.
The first win against the Gamecocks came from court four with a 21-13, 21-10 win from McLaurin/Austin over JSU's Morgan McClure and Kiara Amigon. The same result applied to court five, when Girod/Lewis earned their second win of the day over Madison Konopka and Selin Sakiroglu, 21-8, 21-12. Gepford/Martin also got their second win as a pair, taking the third court over Brooklyn Schiffli/Caty Havekost in dominant fashion, 21-6, 21-5.
Graduate Paula Klemperer and senior Taylor Seney played their first match of the UNA Invitational against Jacksonville State, and the pair showed why they are the reigning back-to-back Atlantic Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week with a 21-8, 21-12 victory over Hana Aiana/Stavroula Papazoglou from the top flight.
The final win came from Floyd/Robinson, picking right back up where they left off from the opener with win number two over the Gamecocks' Kaylee Mosely and Luci Wilkinson from court two, 21-8, 21-7.
Court 1: Paula Klemperer/Taylor Seney (UNA) def. Hana Aiana/Stavroula Papazoglou (JSU), 21-8, 21-12
Court 2: Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) def. Kaylee Moseley/Luci Wilkinson (JSU), 21-8, 21-7
Court 3: Ryenne Gepford/Mackenzie Martin (UNA) def. Brooklyn Schiffli/Caty Havekost (JSU), 21-6, 21-5
Court 4: Martha McLaurin/Grace Austin (UNA) def. Morgan McClure/Kiara Amigon (JSU), 21-13, 21-10
Court 5: Jelena Girod/Sarah Larkin Lewis (UNA) def. Madison Konopka/Selin Sakiroglu (JSU), 21-8, 21-12
COMING UP NEXT
Day two of the UNA Invitational opens with North Alabama facing Carson Newman for the second time, followed by the Lions' first Atlantic Sun Conference matchup against Austin Peay. Match one against the Eagles will start at 9 a.m., with the first serve against the Governors scheduled for 1 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
