BATON ROUGE, La. — The LSU beach volleyball team dropped two matches to ranked opponents, losing to No. 9 FIU and No. 10 Georgia State in the final set of matches on Sunday at the Tiger Beach Challenge at Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club. LSU falls to 4-3 on the season and returns to action next week for the Pelican Classic in Kenner, Louisiana.
“The great thing is we have an opportunity to play most of these teams again down the road, and hopefully (we’ll) be able to get concrete feedback on how we’ve adjusted and changed,” said associate head coach Russell Brock. “That’s something to look forward to. There were some great examples of how we can play all through the weekend, and it’s just a matter of doing that a higher percentage of the time.”
FIU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after Mandi Orellana and Cheyenne Wood lost in straight sets at the four, 23-21 and 21-19. The Lady Panthers extended their lead to two after No. 5 tandem Victoria Boraski and Megan Davenport were defeated in a three-setter, 17-21, 21-19 and 6-15.
The Lady Tigers remained resilient despite the deficit, garnering two points on courts two and three. Cati Leak and Callan Molle claimed a point at the three in three sets by scores of 18-21, 21-11 and 15-8. No. 2 duo Helen Boyle and Lilly Kessler came back in three sets, 18-21, 21-13 and 16-14 to tie the match at two apiece. The rally fell just short as FIU won over No. 1 pair Katie Lindelow and Ashley Allmer by scores of 21-12, 15-21 and 15-8, taking the match 3-2.
LSU found itself in a hole in the second match against Georgia State, facing another early 2-0 deficit. Wood and Orellana lost in straight sets on court four, 21-17 and 21-15, giving the Panthers a 1-0 advantage. Georgia State tacked on their second point of the match with a two-set victory at the five over Boraski and Davenport.
Lindelow and Allmer put the Lady Tigers on the board with a victory in three sets on court one, 16-21, 21-13 and 15-11, cutting into Georgia State’s lead 2-1. At the two, Boyle and Kessler rallied to tie the game for the Lady Tigers, grabbing the third set, 16-21, 21-19 and 15-13. The Lady Panthers wouldn’t be denied, earning the match-clinching point against No. 3 duo Molle and Leak in straight sets, 20-22, 15-21 to take the match.
The Lady Tigers return to action next Friday against Tulane at Coconut Beach In Kenner, Louisiana in the Pelican Classic.
“I think this team is still playing at a very high level and wants to be great,” said Brock. “I think we take tomorrow off, and we come back on Tuesday ready to get better. That’s what it’s going to take. We’re going to have to put in work this week and hold ourselves to a higher standard and be better by next weekend.”
“(Overall), I thought it was a great event.To get this group of teams here and to see the volleyball being played across the board, it was a lot of fun to watch. Just from a fan’s perspective, you’re not going to see much better beach volleyball at the college level, and that was a lot of fun. There’s great coaches and players. There’s great systems and there’s really good opportunities to see the game played at a really high level.”
Beach Volleyball Results
Tiger Beach Challenge Day 2
March 13, 2016 at Baton Rouge, La.
Mango’s Beach Volleyball Club
BOLD INDICATES WINNER
LSU vs. FIU (FIU wins 3-2)
1. LSU (Katie Lindelow and Ashley Allmer) vs. FIU (Martyna Gluchowicz and Aren Cupp) 21-12, 15-21, 15-9
2. LSU (Helen Boyle and Lilly Kessler) vs. FIU (Katie Friesen and Anabela Sataric) 16-21, 21-11, 15-8
3. LSU (Callan Molle and Cati Leak) vs. FIU (Dominique Dodd and Katie Hogan) 18-21, 21-13, 16-14
4. LSU (Cheyenne Wood and Mandi Orellana) vs. FIU (Estefanie Bethancourt and Tina Toghiyani) 23-21, 21-19
5. LSU (Megan Davenport and Victoria Boraski) vs. FIU (Savannah Davis and Natalia Giron) 21-17, 19-21, 15-6
6. LSU (Riley Young and Roxanne McVey) vs. FIU (Kari Peterson and Gloria Levorin) 21-12, 17-21, 15-10
LSU vs. Georgia State (Georgia State wins 3-2)
1. LSU (Katie Lindelow and Ashley Allmer) vs. Georgia State (Katelyn Rawls and Nina Interwies) 16-21, 21-13, 15-11
2. LSU (Helen Boyle and Lilly Kessler) vs. Georgia State (Sara Olivova and Jansen Button) 16-21, 21-19, 15-13
3. LSU (Callan Molle and Cati Leak) vs. Georgia State (Natalie Wilson and Brooke Weiner) 22-20, 21-15
4. LSU (Cheyenne Wood and Mandi Orellana) vs. Georgia State (Milani Pickering and Delaney Rohan) 21-17, 21-15
5. LSU (Megan Davenport and Victoria Boraski) vs. Georgia State (Jessica Fourspring and Alexis Townsend) 21-18, 21-9
6. LSU (Carly Morris and Jeni Clark) vs. Georgia State (Chloe Cook and Allie Elson) 24-22, 21-14