Gamecocks Conclude Play at Fiesta on Siesta Key

April 13, 2014

SIESTA KEY, Fla. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team wrapped up play at the Fiesta on Siesta Key pairs tournament on Sunday at Siesta Key Beach.

The Gamecocks’ top two pairs played in the Gold and Silver Pairs Challenge brackets.

Carolina’s No. 2 pair of Mikaela Christiaansen and Sarah Blomgren secured a spot in the Gold Bracket after going 2-1 in pool play on Saturday. The duo won their opening-round match on Sunday, defeating Florida State’s Sarah Wickstrom and Fatma Yildirim in three sets by the scores of 18-21, 21-14 and 15-11. It was Wickstrom and Yildirim’s first loss this season. Blomgren and Christiaansen’s run ended in the quarterfinals with a three-set loss to North Florida’s Dagnija Medina and Kim Hildreth, 21-11, 18-21, 15-8.

In the Silver Bracket, South Carolina’s Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent, who were seeded in the bracket after going 1-2 in pool play on Saturday, topped Florida Atlantic’s Natalie Fraley and Beth Shoaff in the first round by the scores of 21-18, 16-21 and 15-8. However, the Garnet and Black pair was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a loss to College of Charleston’s Melissa Morello and Cara Howley by the scores of 21-13 and 21-14.

On Saturday in the Fiesta on Siesta Key Team Cup competition, the Gamecocks had six pairs in the mix. The Carolina pair of Chynna Ratner and Litsa Darby had the most success in pool play, winning two of their three one-set matches to 25 points.

Following pool play, all of the pairs were seeded into four brackets, and South Carolina’s duo of Jordan Loney and Jade Vitt went 5-0 to win the Bronze Bracket

The Gamecocks will return to action next weekend in their final road trip of the season as they head to Tallahassee, Fla., for Florida State’s pairs tournament. South Carolina’s pairs are slated to play on Friday and Saturday.

Fiesta on Siesta Key Pairs Challenge
Pool Play – Saturday
Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Natalie Fraley/Beth Shoaff (FAU) 21-13, 21-18
Anya Budinska/Cari Whitmire (UNF) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 21-18, 21-17
Mel Melville/Kaylee Anderson (Stetson) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 21-16, 21-17

Mikaela Christiaansen/Sarah Blomgren (SC) def. Kiriana Hirini/Bethanie Thomas (UAB) 22-20, 21-15
Dagnija Medina/Kim Hildreth (UNF) def. Mikaela Christiaansen/Sarah Blomgren (SC) 21-19, 21-13
Mikaela Christiaansen/Sarah Blomgren (SC) def. Savannah Byl/Cat Coston (Stetson) 21-23, 21-12, 15-12

Fiesta on Siesta Key Pairs Challenge
Gold Bracket – Sunday
First Round
Mikaela Christiaansen/Sarah Blomgren (SC) def. Sarah Wickstrom/Fatma Yildirim (FSU) 18-21, 21-14, 15-11

Quarterfinals
Dagnija Medina/Kim Hildreth (UNF) def. Mikaela Christiaansen/Sarah Blomgren (SC) 21-11, 18-21, 15-8

Silver Bracket – Sunday
First Round
Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Natalie Fraley/Beth Shoaff (FAU) 21-18, 16-21, 15-8

Quarterfinals
Melissa Morello/Cara Howley (CofC) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent 21-13, 21-14

Fiesta on Siesta Key Team Cup
Pool Play – Saturday
Maja Rosko/Maria Coukoulis (FIU) def. Katie McCormick/Haley Guyton (SC) 25-13
Ebony Gunn/Emily Davanzo (UNF) def. Katie McCormick/Haley Guyton (SC) 25-13
Katie McCormick/Haley Guyton (SC) def. Tiffani Pate/Brittany Showalter (Warner) 25-20

Chloe Jenkins/Kami Dickerson (Grand Canyon) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/KoKo Atoa-Williams (SC) 25-16
Erin Neuenfeldt/KoKo Atoa-Williams (SC) def. Rachyl Thomsen/Ciara Brown (USF) 25-22
Madison Tormey/Stephanie Marin (Stetson) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/KoKo Atoa-Williams (SC) 25-22

Savannah Davis/Giovanna Pasos (FIU) def. Morgan LaVigne/Helen Récaborde (SC) 25-14
Lauren Homrich/Rachel Miller (JU) def. Morgan LaVigne/Helen Récaborde (SC) 25-16
Morgan LaVigne/Helen Récaborde (SC) def. Brianna Lakman/Katie Trenski (Southeastern) 25-20

Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt (SC) def. Brandy Grant/Britta Forsythe (Grand Canyon) 25-14
Alida Schat/Brittany Mock (Webber) def. Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt (SC) 28-26
Courtney Liddle/Olivia Utt (Tulane) def. Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt (SC) 25-14

Chynna Ratner/Litsa Darby (SC) def. Emma Schroer/Lindsay Simmons (UAB) 25-18
Chynna Ratner/Litsa Darby (SC) def. Chelsey Tekavec/Lexi Rhein (FAU) 27-25
Sloane White/Andi Zbojniewicz (CofC) def. Chynna Ratner/Litsa Darby (SC) 25-14

Erika White/Kara Young (Stetson) def. Shiloh Burgreen/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) 25-12
Alexis Elmurr/Karlee Kavanaugh (GSU) def. Shiloh Burgreen/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) 25-16
Tanner Garbutt/Cameron McGuire (UNF) def. Shiloh Burgreen/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (SC) 25-12

Fiesta on Siesta Key Team Cup
Bracket Play (Pair Records Only – Scores/Opponents Unavailable) – Saturday
Silver
Chynna Ratner/Litsa Darby (0-1)

Bronze
Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt – Won Bracket (5-0)
Katie McCormick/Haley Guyton (1-1)
KoKo Atoa-Williams/Erin Neuenfeldt (0-1)
Morgan LaVigne/Helen Récaborde (0-1)

Copper
Shiloh Burgreen/Jordan Wilson-Talmadge (0-1)

Sunday Fun Brackets
Bracket A
Sloane White/Andi Zbojniewicz (CofC) def. Jordan Loney/Jade Vitt (SC) 25-22

Bracket B
Knapp/McIntosh (FAU) def. Chynna Ratner/Litsa Darby 25-15

Bracket C
Molly Smestad/Jessica Fourspring (GSU) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/KoKo Atoa-Williams (SC) 25-20