SIESTA KEY, Fla. – The ULM beach volleyball team dropped its opener at the Fiesta on Siesta 3-2 versus Jacksonville on Siesta Key Beach.
All three matches lost on the Warhawks' (9-10) end were done in three sets. Junior pair Kori Simpson and Hadley Swartz put on a dominating performance at the twos, outscoring the Dolphins (7-12) two-pair 42-31. The duo posted a tight 21-19 win in the first set before putting on an excellent performance in the second, taking that set 21-12.
“Hadley and Kori played lights out today,” ULM head beach volleyball coach Patrick Hiltz said. “It was great to see them relax and enjoy the game. They attacked their opponent from the start and never let up. They were really clicking today.”
The four-slot of sophomore Claire Crossfield and Tara Jenkins moved to 9-2 as a pair with a three-set victory at the fours, edging out Jacksonville 15-10 in the deciding set.
“[Crossfield] and [Jenkins] played the way we have come to expect from them,” Hiltz said. “It's nice to watch those two play with such confidence and consistency.”
Jacksonville 3, ULM 2
1. Kelly Koop/Maya Prestes (Jacksonville) def. Hope Pawlik/Taylor Zaeske (ULM) 22-20, 12-21, 15-9
2. Kori Simpson/Hadley Swartz (ULM) def. Cristina Finan/Mackenzie Swan (Jacksonville) 21-19, 21-12
3. Katie Krawczyk/Emily Laskelle (Jacksonville) def. Delaney Driver/Kaitlyn Shearer (ULM) 22-24, 21-13, 15-11
4. Claire Crossfield/Tara Jenkins (ULM) def. Shelby Babowicz/Olga Nushtayeva (Jacksonville) 21-14, 17-21, 15-10
5. Hannah McMahon/Gabby Nieto (Jacksonville) def. Catherine Griffith/Bayleigh Hoffman (ULM) 21-18, 12-21, 18-16
ULM takes on No. 3 Florida State tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. CT before dueling UNC-Wilmington on a 1 p.m. CT first serve.
“We have a very tough match tomorrow morning that will test our ball control and fundamentals followed by a rematch against Wilmington that looks to be a match they have circled since we played in Atlanta. It should be a fun day,” Hiltz said.
A recap of each day at the Fiesta on Siesta will be posted to ulmwarhawks.com. For updates on the beach volleyball squad, be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
