GULF SHORES, Ala. – Facing wind conditions on the sands of Gulf Shores, the No. 3 LSU Beach Volleyball team won all three of its matches against No. 20 Tulane, No. 11 Grand Canyon and UAB to close out play at the March to May.
LSU rebounded after dropping a down to the wire match Saturday evening against No. 2 Florida State. The Tigers opened the day early against Tulane followed immediately against Grand Canyon before a slight break until its match against UAB. LSU won the first two matches 4-1 and swept the last match over UAB.
“I loved the effort today,” said head coach Russell Brock. “It would have been real easy to muddle our way through today after a late finish last night. I’m really proud of how everyone came to work today and took care of business. It was a long day with three solid matches in windy conditions and we were focused all the way through.”
The first match of the day in Gulf Shores was LSU against Tulane and it was the Green Wave that got on the board first. On Court 4, LSU’s Jess Lansman and Sydney Moore struggled to get rolling as they fell in straight set, 21-18 and 21-14. Olivia Ordonez and Kahlee York evened the match for LSU though, winning Court 5, 22-20 and 21-19.
Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss had no issues on Court 1, 21-13 and 21-16. Toni Rodriguez and Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope won the first set on Court 3, 21-16. They had to battle in the second set, but ultimately won that 26-24 to clinch the overall match for LSU over Tulane. Claire Coppola and Kelli Greene-Agnew dropped their first set on Court 2, 24-22, but responded over the next two sets two get the comeback, 21-15 and 15-9.
Just moments after Coppola and Greene-Agnew wrapped up their match against Tulane, LSU had Courts 4 and 5 going in its match against Grand Canyon. Ordonez and York once again had no issues on Court 5, 21-14 and 21-11. Lansman and Moore fell once again on Court 4 in a tight match. The dropped the first set, 21-15, but came away with a tight 22-20 set two win to dorce a third. There the LSU duo fell though, 15-7, as GCU evened the overall match.
Kloth and Nuss continues to roll on Court 1, 21-12 and 21-17. Rodriguez and Rasnick-Pope clinched the match on Court 3 again, 21-16 in both sets. Coppola and Greene-Agnew had no real issued on Court 2 either, 21-17 in both sets, as LSU won the match over GCU, 4-1.
After a few hours to rest up, the Tigers were back in the sand for their final match of the weekend against UAB, the tournament’s official host. Grace Seits replaced Jess Lansman on Court 4 to team up with Moore.
York and Ordonez got the Tigers ahead early, taking Court 5 in two sets, 21-18 and 21-18. Seits and Moore played well together as a first-time pair. They won the first set, 21-15. The second set was tight, but the LSU duo did not give in with a 26-24 win.
Rodriguez and Rasnick-Pope made ultra-quick work in the first set on Court 3, 21-5. They faced slightly more resistance in the second set, but ended up taking it 21-14, to clinch the match for LSU.
Kloth and Nuss also did not have many issues and they remained undefeated for the year on Court 1, 21-12 and 21-11. Coppola and Greene-Agnew completed the sweep to finish the weekend for the Tigers on Court 2, 21-16 and 22-20.
The Tigers will be home once again next weekend for the LSU Beach Invitational on Saturday and Sunday.
“There’s no doubt we are continuing to get better,” said Brock. ” I can’t wait to get back to work this week before another great weekend at home.”
#3 LSU 4, #20 Tulane 1
Court 1: Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss (LSU) def. Eva Torruella/Kendall Peters (Tulane): 21-13, 21-16
Court 2: Claire Coppola/Kelli Greene-Agnew (LSU) def. Allie Olsonoski/Tarin Mergener (Tulane):22-24, 21-14, 15-9
Court 3: Toni Rodriguez/Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope (LSU) def. Addie Hermstad/Samantha Mehlman (Tulane): 21-16, 26-24
Court 4: Lara Torruella/Avery Arellano (Tulane) def. Jess Lansman/Sydney Moore (LSU): 21-18, 21-14
Court 5: Olivia Ordonez/Kahlee York (LSU) def. Rio Frohoff/Gabby Becerra (Tulane): 22-20, 21-19
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2
#3 LSU 4, #11 Grand Canyon 1
Court 1: Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss (LSU) def. Bella Bauman/Teagan DeFalco (GCU): 21-12, 21-17
Court 2: Claire Coppola/Kelli Greene-Agnew (LSU) def. Anaya Evans/Madi Relaz (GCU): 21-17, 21-17
Court 3: Toni Rodriguez/Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope (LSU) def. Allison Hansen/Taylor Jarzombek (GCU): 21-16, 21-16
Court 4: Paula Hoffman/Allanis Navas (GCU) def. Jess Lansman/Sydney Moore (LSU): 21-15, 20-22, 15-7
Court 5: Olivia Ordonez/Kahlee York (LSU) def. Krista Rowan/Katie Sarber (GCU): 21-14, 21-11
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 1, 3, 2
#3 LSU 5, UAB 0
Court 1: Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss (LSU) def. Rachel Tam/Mikayla Law-Heese (UAB): 21-13, 21-11
Court 2: Claire Coppola/Kelli Greene-Agnew (LSU) def. Dylynn Otte/Emma Andraka (UAB): 21-16, 22-20
Court 3: Toni Rodriguez/Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope (LSU) def. Jenna Gathright/Adriana Pereira (UAB): 21-5, 21-14
Court 4: Sydney Moore/Grace Seits (LSU) def. Salli Napolitano/Arden Copping (UAB): 21-14, 26-24
Court 5: Olivia Ordonez/Kahlee York (LSU) def. Sarah Dickson/Ella Alexander (UAB): 21-18, 21-18
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2