March 28, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team dropped a 5-0 decision to No. 3 Pepperdine on Saturday to open the Palmetto Invitational at the Carolina Sand Volleyball Complex.
With the loss, the Gamecocks fall to 11-4 on the season. Pepperdine improves to 7-3 with the win.
Following the dual, Carolina’s first senior class of Haley Guyton, Jade Hayes, Megan Kent, Colleen Nosovitch and Paige Wheeler was honored during a Senior Day ceremony.
The Gamecocks fell behind 2-0 after the first wave of pairs with losses at No. 2 and No. 4. Wheeler and Kent fell in two sets to Lara Dykstra and Becca Strehlow by the scores of 21-13 and 21-18. The Waves’ No. 4 pair of Sophie Asprey and Taylor Racich then gave Pepperdine the two-point advantage with a win over Carolina’s Hayes and Macie Tendrich by the scores of 22-20 and 21-16.
Pepperdine clinched the win, as Kelley Larsen and Kellie Woolever topped the Gamecocks’ No. 1 pair of Maddie Frome and Julia Mannisto by the scores of 21-17 and 21-13.
The Waves’ No. 5 pair of Katie Messing and Corinne Quiggle gave Pepperdine a 4-0 lead, defeating Carolina’s KoKo Atoa-Williams and Allie Monserez, 21-16 and 21-17. The Gamecocks’ No. 3 pair of Sarah Blomgren and Jade Vitt then lost in two sets to Pepperdine’s Emily Cook and Delaney Knudsen by the scores of 21-12 and 21-13 to end the dual.
In the exhibition match, Carolina’s Litsa Darby and Erin Neuenfeldt went back and forth with Pepperdine’s Samantha Cash and Leanna Schroeder before winning in three sets by the scores of 17-21, 21-19 and 17-15.
In the pairs tournament Gold bracket, Blomgren and Vitt lost to FIU’s Marina Boulanger and Anna Budinska by the scores of 24-22 and 21-17. Frome and Mannisto fell to the Panthers’ Kristine Monforte and Summer Nash, 21-14 and 21-17. Wheeler and Kent lost their matchup with Pepperdine’s Dykstra and Strehlow, 21-12 and 21-18.
In the Silver bracket, Hayes and Tendrich dropped their match against FIU’s Aren Cupp and Tina Toghiyani, 21-15 and 21-17. Atoa-Williams and Monserez lost to Pepperdine’s Messing and Quiggle by the scores of 21-18 and 21-19, and Neuenfeldt and Darby fell to FIU’s Natalia Giron and Anabela Sataric.
The Gamecocks return to action on Sunday against No. 6 Florida International. First serve is set for 11 a.m. The dual will be streamed live on the SEC Network+ digital platform. The pairs tournament schedule for Sunday has changed. The Gold consolation bracket matches have been canceled. Gold winner’s bracket and Silver bracket play will now start at 9 a.m.
Dual Results
No. 3 Pepperdine 5, South Carolina 0
No. 1: Kelley Larsen/Kellie Woolever (PEP) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-17, 21-13
No. 2: Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 21-13, 21-18
No. 3: Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 21-12, 21-13
No. 4: Sophie Asprey/Taylor Racich (PEP) def. Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) 22-20, 21-16
No. 5: Katie Messing/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 21-16, 21-17
Exh.: Erin Neuenfeldt/Litsa Darby (SC) def. Samantha Cash/Leanna Schroeder (PEP) 17-21, 21-19, 17-15
Pairs Tournament
Gold Bracket
Marina Boulanger/Anna Budinska (FIU) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 24-22, 21-17
Kristine Monforte/Summer Nash (FIU) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-14, 21-17
Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 21-12, 21-18
Gold Consolation
Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 21-11
Silver Bracket
Aren Cupp/Tina Toghiyani (FIU) def. Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) 21-15, 21-17
Katie Messing/Corinne Quiggle (PEP) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 21-18, 21-19
Natalia Giron/Anabela Sataric (FIU) def. Erin Neuenfeldt/Litsa Darby (SC) 21-16, 12-21, 15-13
