DELAND, Fla. (April 24, 2024) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team opened the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Tournament in DeLand, Fla. with a 4-1 win over No. 5 EKU on Wednesday morning.
 
The Lions got off to a strong start in the postseason opener, defeating the Colonels for the third time this season. EKU came to play early, splitting the first two matches of the dual with a fourth-flight win. UNA's top three flights proved the difference in the dual, securing three wins to advance the Lions to the quarterfinal round.
 
With the win, the Lions set a new program record for most wins in a single season. The victory marked the 21st win, surpassing the 20 wins from 2023. The Lions now have seven postseason wins over six seasons, including today's win over EKU in the first postseason meeting between the teams.
 
UNA is now 6-0 against EKU all-time.
 
UNA took the top three courts plus court five, leading to the second 4-1 win over EKU this season. North Alabama won two of the matches in two sets, with flights one and three coming to the third set. Graduates Taylor Seney and Paula Klemperer won their 21st match of the season, while junior Katy Floyd and sophomore Selma Robinson dominated the second flight in straight sets.
 
With their victory today, Floyd and Robinson tied both Seney and Klemperer for the most individual wins in a single season with 26.
 
Graduate Mackenzie Martin and junior Ryenne Gepford won their fifth-straight match in a third-flight victory, and senior Jelena Girod and sophomore Sarah Larkin Lewis opened their postseason campaign from flight five with a win.
 
North Alabama's tournament continues into day two with a 21-11 record, while EKU heads to the loser's bracket at 16-13.
 
UNA trailed early in the dual, dropping the first match from the fourth flight. The Lions responded with a 21-19, 21-15 fifth-flight win from Lewis and Girod – their 16th of the season.
 
Heading into the top three flights, Gepford and Martin had to rally from the third-flight match. The pair dropped a 21-19 first set but recovered in the second with a 21-16 second set. UNA's third flight went on to take the third set, 15-10, to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage.
 
First team All-ASUN pair Floyd and Robinson secured North Alabama's quarterfinal ticket with a 21-11, 21-13 win from flight two over EK Lonergan and Reagan Sandlin. The top-flight match with Seney and Klemperer started in favor of the Colonels, with the pair dropping the first set to Paityn Walker and Sarah Mitchell, 21-18. UNA's top-flight fought back in the second with a 21-19 victory, setting up a third-set showdown. The final frame had to be won by two, but Seney and Klemperer got it done with a thrilling 16-14 triumph.
 

1. Klemperer/Seney (UNA) def. Walker/Mitchell (EKU) 18-21, 21-19, 16-14
2. Floyd/Robinson (UNA) def. Lonergan/Sandlin (EKU) 21-11, 21-13
3. Martin/Gepford (UNA) def. Richardson/Cutler (EKU) 19-21, 21-16, 15-10
4. Mueller/Armitage (EKU) def. Austin/McLaurin (UNA) 21-12, 21-11
5. Girod/Lewis (UNA) def. Fonvielle/Rima (EKU) 21-19, 21-15

 
Order of Finish: (4,5,3,2,1)
 
 
COMING UP NEXT
 
North Alabama will next face No. 1 North Florida in the ASUN Tournament Quarterfinal on Thursday, April 25. First serve is at 8 a.m. from the Cooper Beach Volleyball Courts.

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