Baton Rouge, La. – The No. 5 LSU Beach Volleyball team began its season on Saturday at the Green Wave Invitational with two wins over Tulane and North Alabama.
“Today was a great first step,” said head coach Russell Brock. “I love the challenges we had playing against two scrappy teams. The first time out, there’s always nerves and if you aren’t tested then you really can’t get over them. I was proud of how our teams not only competed to get two dominant wins, but also how our beach family supported and rooted for each other.”
The Tigers will play two more matches on Sunday beginning at 12:15 p.m. CT with Nicholls and then finishing the day with UNO at 2:45 p.m. CT before heading home. LSU will host the Tiger Beach Challenge next weekend.
LSU began the day with a 4-1 victory against Tulane in its morning match to start the season 1-0. Lara Boos and Ella Larkin got the action started for the Tigers on Court 4 with a dominant two set victory. Boos and Larkin won their first match of the season, 21-17 and 21-11. On Court 5 Cassidy Chambers and Amber Hanyes played three sets, but lost; 16-21, 21-15 and 12-15.
On Court 1, Kylie DeBerg and Ellie Shank won in straight sets, 21-18 and 21-14. On Court 2 Grace Seits and Parker Bracken won in straight sets, 21-14 and 21-15. Court 3 was a three-set thriller that Hannah Brister and Reilly Allred won; 21-16, 16-21, and 15-10.
After a break, LSU was back in the sand to take on North Alabama that ended in a 5-0 Tiger sweep. Boos and Larkin won, 21-11 and 21-5 on Court 4. Chambers and Hanyes won, 21-19 and 21-17 on Court 5.
On Court One, DeBerg and Shank won in three sets; 21-11, 15-21 and 15-11. Seits and Bracken won, 21-15 and 21-19 on Court 2. Brister and Allred won, 21-11 and 21-9 on Court 3.
“We still have work to do, but really pleased with our first effort today,” said Brock. “Tomorrow will be a new test and I’m looking forward to seeing how we embrace it!”
No. 5 LSU def. Tulane 4-1
- LSU DeBerg and Shank def. TU Mollie Ebertin and Kendall Peters; 21-18 and 21-14
- LSU Seits and Bracken def. TU Sara Hall and Maddie Speicher; 21-14 and 21-15
- LSU Brister and Allred def. TU Samantha Mehiman and Emily Heintzelman; 21-16, 16-21, and 15-10
- LSU Boos and Larkin def. TU Ashton Mares and Abby Jackson; 21-17 and 21-11
- TU Savka Popovic and Lara Torruella def. LSU Chambers and Haynes; 16-21, 21-15 and 12-15
No. 5 LSU def. UNA 5-0
- LSU DeBerg and Shank def. North Alabama Taylor Seney and Paula Klemperer 21-11, 15-21 and 15-11
- LSU Seits and Bracken def. North Alabama Mackenzie Martin and Katy Floyd; 21-15 and 21-19
- LSU Brister and Allred def. North Alabama Selma Robinson and Martha McLaurin; 21-11 and 21-9
- LSU Boos and Larkin def. North Alabama Natalie Kordt and Jelena Girod; 21-11 and 21-5
- LSU Chambers and Haynes def. North Alabama Katie Gerig and Sarah Larkin Lewis; 21-19 and 21-17