ATLANTA (April 11, 2025) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team secured a 5-0 win Friday afternoon over EKU to begin the GSU Diggin' Duals in Atlanta.
The Lions added their 15th victory of the season in the Peach State, sweeping the Atlantic Sun Conference foes for the team's ninth season sweep. Prior to the contest versus the Colonels, UNA faced the hosts, No. 18 Georgia State, but fell in a 4-1 result to the Sandy Panthers. North Alabama concluded the day versus EKU, heading into day two with a seventh conference win.
UNA's record moves to 15-11 overall with a 7-4 ASUN record.
All competing Lions were victorious on the day, but UNA was led by junior
Lucy Wedding and freshman
Mabrey Whitehead with the 2-0 day. They held on for a three-set win against Georgia State, following up with a hard-fought, two-set victory against EKU.
Match 1 — #18 Georgia State 4, North Alabama 1
The Sandy Panthers took the first contest to open UNA's weekend, but the Lions' Wedding and Whitehead provided the lone points with a victory from court five.
Georgia State won the opening flight from court four, but North Alabama's fifth flight tied the dual with a three-set victory. The pair opened with a 21-13 set win before falling in the second, 15-21. The duo needed to win by two in the closing frame but prevailed in a 16-14 triumph over Georgia State's Courtney Smith and Kealy Dirnir.
The ensuing match saw court one decided by a total of four points, but North Alabama's Floyd and Robinson would fall to Ayla Johnson and Aree Keller, 21-19, 21-19.
Flights three marked the fourth three-set match of the dual, but Georgia State's Ella Mozeleski and Aliisa Vuorinen held on to clinch the dual over
Aurora Bibolotti and
Pien Grooters, 21-15, 18-21, 15-10. The final match saw GSU's Savannah Ebarb and Destiny White win on court two over Gepford and Griner in three sets, 21-17, 19-21, 15-12.
Order of Finish: (4,5,1,3,2)
Match 2 — North Alabama 5, EKU 0
Ending day one against the conference opponents, North Alabama rebounded from the opening defeat with its second sweep over EKU this season.
Opening was Benesz and Holbrook from court five, who nabbed the first win with a 21-19, 21-19 triumph over Bella Williams and Elpida Pitsigkoni. Wedding and Whitehead continued on from the fourth flight with their second victory of the day: a 29-27, 21-19 win over EK Lonergan and Reagan Sandlin.
Floyd and Robinson secured their first win of the day and provided the clinching point for UNA in a 21-15, 21-11 win over Paityn Walker and Molly Shomock from flight one. Gepford and Griner engaged in a three-set battle with EKU's Rachel Mueller and Gabriella Armitage, but the UNA duo held strong for a 18-21, 21-19, 15-8 win from court two.
The final court match was played from flight three, with Bibolotti and Grooters facing Madalyn Richardson and Riley Cutler. The two sides split the opening two sets, but Bibolotti and Grooters survived the final frame en route to a 14-21, 21-18, 21-19 victory.
Order of Finish: (5,4,1,2,3)
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama continues with day two of the GSU Diggin' Duals on Saturday, April 12, taking on Louisiana Monroe at 9:45 a.m. before concluding the weekend versus No. 18 Georgia State at 4 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
