BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A pair of setbacks to Coastal Carolina and host UAB at the Blazer Beach Bash drew the ULM beach volleyball regular season to a close on Saturday, April 17. Coastal Carolina earned a 4-1 win in the morning session and UAB followed with a 3-2 victory in the afternoon on the Blazer Beach Courts, ending the 2021 beach volleyball regular season.
Coastal Carolina 4, ULM 1
Coastal Carolina posted its second win, 4-1, in the all-time series with ULM on Saturday morning at the Blazer Beach Bash.
The Chanticleers (21-6) earned the first point of the match when Carli Ginther and Ellie Hanford completed a 23-21, 21-12 victory over
Elizabeth Moreland and
Brooke Hoven in the clash of No. 5 seeds.
Holland Ponthieux and
Anna Demmer evened the team score at 1-1 as the Warhawk pair posted a 21-17, 18-21, 15-10 win over Emma Gonzalez and Kalin Eske in No. 4 play.
Coastal Carolina responded by sweeping the top three seeds, assuming a 2-1 lead when the No. 2 pair of Lucy Campbell and Martine Kragholm earned a 21-19, 21-18 victory against
Abigail Elder and
Kayla Gallant. The pairing of Kendra Lukacs and Sarah Riedell triumphed over third-seeded pair
Ina Gosen and
Katie McKay by scores of 21-15, 21-10, clinching the team win for the Chanticleers.
The final win by Coastal Carolina came from Irena Drobnjak and Sarlota Svobodova, who fought past
Audrey Brooks and
Julia Blazek to claim a three-set victory, 18-21, 21-13, 15-7.
1. Drobnjak, Irena/Svobodova, Sarlota (CCU) def.
Audrey Brooks/
Julia Blazek (ULM) 18-21, 21-13, 15-7
2. Campbell, Lucy/Kragholm, Martine (CCU) def.
Abigail Elder/
Kayla Gallant (ULM) 21-19, 21-18
3. Lukacs, Kendra/Riedell, Sarah (CCU) def.
Ina Gosen/
Katie McKay (ULM) 21-15, 21-10
4.
Holland Ponthieux/
Anna Demmer (ULM) def. Gonzalez, Emma/Eske, Kalin (CCU) 21-17, 18-21, 15-10
5. Ginther, Carli/Hanford, Ellie (CCU) def.
Elizabeth Moreland/
Brooke Hoven (ULM) 23-21, 21-12
UAB 3, ULM 2
UAB completed the season sweep of the Warhawks with a 3-2 win in the afternoon clash between the two programs. The match, a Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) clash, dropped the Warhawks' record to 14-20 overall and 2-10 in league play. Meanwhile, UAB finished the 2021 regular season at 12-13 overall and 5-9 in CCSA play.
The Blazers jumped out to the 1-0 lead when the tandem of Dylynn Otte and Emma Andraka posted a 21-9, 22-20 victory against ULM's No. 4 seeded duo of Demmer and Ponthieux. Their UAB teammates Pearl Moore and Harper Cozzens, seeded fifth, followed with a two-set 21-14, 21-19 win against Moreland and Hoven as the lead grew to 2-0.
ULM bounced back with its first point of the match, which came from No. 2 seeded teammates Gallant and McKay triumphed over Salli Napolitano and Arden Copping by scores of 22-20, 21-19. The Blazers rebounded with a victory in the clash of No. 1 seeds as Rachel Tam and Mikayla Law-Heese clinched the team victory with a 21-19, 22-24, 15-13 win against Brooks and Blazek.
ULM capped off the match with a victory by third-seeded pair Gosen and Elder, who defeated Jenna Gathright and Sarah Dickson in three sets, 17-21, 21-16, 21-19.
1. Rachel Tam/Mikayla Law-Heese (UAB) def.
Audrey Brooks/
Julia Blazek (ULM): 21-19, 22-24, 15-13
2.
Kayla Gallant/
Katie McKay (ULM) def. Salli Napolitano/Arden Copping (UAB): 22-20, 21-19
3.
Ina Gosen/Abbie Elder (ULM) def. Jenna Gathright/Sarah Dickson (UAB): 17-21, 21-16, 21-19
4. Dylynn Otte/Emma Andraka (UAB) def.
Anna Demmer/Holland Ponnthieux (ULM): 21-9, 22-20
5. Pearl Moore/Harper Cozzens (UAB) def.
Elizabeth Moreland/
Brooke Hoven (ULM): 21-14, 21-19
The Warhawks now turn their attention to the CCSA Tournament, which begins on Thursday, April 22 in Huntsville, Alabama.
