ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. -- The ULM sand volleyball team fell short in both of its matches in the first day of competition at the UNF Sand Invitational at St. Augustine Beach, Fla., Saturday.
The day began with a 5-0 loss to No. 4 Florida State. The Warhawks (0-2) later fell 4-1 against No. 9 FIU to end the day.
MATCH ONE - No. 4 Florida State 5, ULM 0
The Warhawks fell 5-0 to the fourth-ranked Seminoles to start the 2014 campaign.
Zuzana Markova and Marcela Araya had a strong showing at the top flight despite falling 2-0 to FSU's Jace Pardon and Aurora Davis. The ULM pair fell 21-14, 21-12.
“Opening our season against FSU was an eye-opener, as expected,” head coach David Fischer said.
Two other ULM pairs also posted double-figures in both sets. Blanca Ocana and Alannah Cullum fell 21-11, 21-15 while Rachel Arnason and Hope Pawlik fell 21-10, 21-15 in their debut.
“Throughout the day, our pairs played better as the match went on,” Fischer added.
Box Score: No. 4 Florida State 5, ULM 0
1. Jace Pardon/Aurora Davis (FSU) d. Zuzana Markova/Marcela Araya (ULM) 21-14, 21-12
2. Stephanie Pellitteri/Kristina Pellitterri (FSU) d. Hadley Swartz/Michelle McNamee (ULM), 21-17, 21-7
3. Jule Brown/Melanie Pavels (FSU) d. Blanca Ocana/Alannah Cullum (ULM), 21-11, 21-15
4. Fatima Yildirim/Kayla Joyce (FSU) d. Hope Pawlik/Rachel Arnason (ULM), 21-10, 21-15
5. Sarah Wickstrom/Sierra Sanchez (FSU) d. Celine Flores/Kaitlyn Shearer (ULM), 21-6, 21-11
MATCH TWO -- No. 9 FIU 4, ULM 1
The Warhawks grabbed its first point of the season by virtue of Zuzana Markova and Marcela Araya's victory at the No. 1 position, but still fell short in a 4-1 decision against the ninth-ranked Panthers.
Araya and Markova needed a third set to take the point, and took the finale 15-12 after falling 21-13 in the second set.
“Obviously, the win at the top pairs spot against FIU means we're doing something right. Marcela and Zuzana outlasted their opponents in a fun three-set match,” Fischer said.
ULM fought hard at the No. 2 and No. 4 flights, as well. In the second spot, Hadley Swartz and Michelle McNamee battled in a 21-19, 21-18 defeat while Hope Pawlik and Rachel Arnason suffered a tough 21-16, 21-19 set back in the fourth position.
The Warhawks return to action tomorrow at 8:30 AM Central Time to take on North Florida followed by an 11:30 AM tilt against Georgia State.
“After some sightseeing in St. Augustine tonight, we'll look to find some wins against a pair of strong teams tomorrow,” Fischer said.
For more updates on the sand volleyball program, follow @ULM_SandVB on Twitter.
Box Score - No. 9 FIU 4, ULM 1
1. Markova/Araya (ULM) d. Ksenia Sukhareva/Maryna Samoday (FIU), 21-16, 13-21, 15-12
2. Camila Rosado/Maja Rosko (FIU) d. Swartz/McNamee (ULM), 21-19, 21-18
3. Kristine Monforte/Martyna Gluchowicz (FIU) d. Ocana/Cullum (ULM), 21-8, 21-13
4. Jessica Mendoza/Jessica Gehrke (FIU) d. Pawlik/Arnason (ULM), 21-16, 21-19
5. Tina Toghiyani/Aren Cupp (FIU) d. Flores/Sheare (ULM), 21-6, 21-11