LSU Gold

Sand Volleyball Wraps Up Gamecock Invitational

by Caroline Downer
+0
Sand Volleyball Wraps Up Gamecock Invitational

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The LSU sand volleyball team (2-3) fell 3-2 to Mercer (5-3) Sunday during the final day of the Gamecock Invitational.
 
“Every time we play, we will get better,” associate head coach Russell Brock said. “You can’t even measure how much we improved this weekend. Not only were we able to play four tough matches, but we were also able to watch a lot of other teams play.”
 
LSU maintained a tight match against the Bears, and Mercer scored the first point of the day on court four as the Bears’ Zoe Becton and Emily Rochefort overcame LSU’s Malorie Pardo and Laura Whalen 21-16, 21-15.
 
The Tigers came back with Kaitlin Hatcher and Helen Boyle‘s court-two 22-20, 21-16 win against Mercer’s Jamie Duffy and Emma Peel to tie up the score 1-1.
 
Mercer took the lead again as Emma Hiller and Katarina Raicevic fell 21-15, 21-15, to the Bears’ Erin Brett and Hannah Sorensen in the fifth-seeded spot.
 
Victoria Boraski and Cati Leak notched LSU’s second and final point of the day with a 21-16, 21-15 triumph over Mercer’s Caroline Carlton and Demi-Shay Watchorn on court three. The duo remained undefeated throughout all four matches of the weekend’s competition.
 
Competition on court one served as the deciding point, and after a first-set 22-20 loss to the Bears’ Victoria Penrod and Natalie Braun, Meghan Mannari and Katie Lindelow managed a quick 21-13 second-set win. The duo was ultimately unable to overcome the Bears, falling 15-11 in the third set and tallying the third point for Mercer.
 
The Lady Tigers will face their next competition Wednesday at Tulane at 2:00 p.m. CT.
 
“All the experience and all the new information was invaluable for us going into next week against Tulane,” Brock said. “They will be another strong opponent, and we are looking forward to the challenge. We can’t wait to get back home and start training again.”
 
For the latest information on LSU sand volleyball, follow the Lady Tigers on Twitter and Instagram @LSUsandVB and @RussLSUsand and at www.Facebook.com/LSUsandVB.
 
2014 Gamecock Invitational
Columbia, S.C. – University of South Carolina
 
March 23
LSU vs. Mercer
1. Penrod/Braun (Mercer) def. Mannari/Lindelow (LSU) 22-20, 13-21, 15-11
2. Hatcher/Boyle (LSU) def. Duffy/Peel (Mercer) 22-20, 21-16
3. Boraski/Leak (LSU) def. Carlton/Watchorn (Mercer) 21-16, 21-15
4. Becton/Rochefort (Mercer) def. Pardo/Whalen (LSU) 21-16, 21-15
5. Brett/Sorensen (Mercer) def. Hiller/Raicevic (LSU) 21-15, 21-15