April 18, 2015
BATON ROUGE, La. — The South Carolina sand volleyball team went 1-2 on the first day of competition at the Battle on the Bayou on Saturday at Mango’s Beach Club.
The Gamecocks opened the day with a 5-0 win over Spring Hill but lost their next two duals, falling 3-2 to LSU and 4-1 to ULM. Carolina is now 12-7 on the season.
In the win over Spring Hill (3-10), the Gamecocks claimed all five matches in two sets and won each set by at least five points, including five sets by double digits.
Carolina’s No. 1 pair of Paige Wheeler and Megan Kent defeated Spring Hill’s Mallory Raulerson and Megan Haber by the scores of 21-8 and 21-15.
In the No. 2 match, Maddie Frome and Julia Mannisto topped the Badgers’ Savannah Becnel and Julie Vujonovich by the scores of 21-16 and 21-13.
Sarah Blomgren and Jade Vitt secured the point at No. 3 for the Gamecocks as they defeated Amber Perkins and Virginia Hicks by the scores of 21-15 and 21-13.
Carolina’s Jade Hayes and Macie Tendrich made quick work of Spring Hill’s No. 4 pair of Hannah Masoner and Madison Seuzeneau, winning by the scores of 21-8 and 21-7.
The Gamecock tandem of KoKo Atoa-Williams and Allie Monserez blew past Spring Hill’s No. 5 pair of Andria Dytrych and Catherine Milwee, 21-7 and 21-7.
In the dual with LSU (12-8), Carolina got off to a strong start, building a 2-0 lead with wins at No. 4 and No. 5. Hayes and Tendrich won in straight sets over LSU’s Carly Morris and Katarina Raicevic, 21-17 and 24-22, while Atoa-Williams and Monserez took down the Tigers’ Riley Young and Emma Hiller by the scores of 21-15 and 21-13.
LSU fought back to tie the dual at 2-2 with wins at No. 2 and No. 3. The Tigers’ No. 2 pair of Cati Leak and Callan Molle defeated Frome and Mannisto, 21-14 and 21-19, while Blomgren and Vitt fell in two sets to Amber Perkins and Virginia Hicks by the scores of 21-15 and 21-13.
The dual came down to the No. 1 pairs match between Wheeler and Kent and LSU’s Mandi Orellana and Katie Lindelow. Wheeler and Kent took the first set by the score of 21-17, but Orellana and Lindelow claimed the next two sets, 21-15 and 15-10, to clinch the win for the Tigers.
In an exhibition match versus the Tigers, Carolina’s Erin Neuenfeldt and Litsa Darby won in two sets by the scores of 21-16 and 21-18.
In the loss to ULM, Hayes and Tendrich picked up the lone point for the Gamecocks as they defeated Alannah Cullum and Taylor Zaeske by the scores of 21-14 and 21-18.
Atoa-Williams and Monserez went to three sets with ULM’s No. 5 pair of Claire Crossfield and Kaitlyn Shearer before falling by the scores of 21-16, 18-21 and 15-12.
In the No. 1 pairs match, Wheeler and Kent lost to Marcela Araya and Michelle McNamee by the scores of 21-15 and 21-14.
ULM’s Katie Lindstrom and Hope Pawlik upended Frome and Mannisto at No. 2 by the scores of 21-17 and 22-20, while Blomgren and Vitt lost in two sets to Hadley Swartz and Bayleigh Hoffman, 24-22 and 21-14.
The Gamecocks will wrap up their regular-season schedule on Sunday at the Battle on the Bayou with duals against Tulane (11 a.m. ET) and New Orleans (1 p.m.) at Mango’s Beach Club.
Results
South Carolina 5, Spring Hill 0
No. 1: Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) def. Mallory Raulerson/Megan Haber (SH) 21-8, 21-15
No. 2: Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) def. Savannah Becnel/Julie Vujonovich (SH) 21-16, 21-13
No. 3: Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) def. Amber Perkins/Virginia Hicks (SH) 21-15, 21-13
No. 4: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Hannah Masoner/Madison Seuzeneau (SH) 21-8, 21-7
No. 5: KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) def. Andria Dytrych/Catherine Milwee (SH) 21-7, 21-7
LSU 3, South Carolina 2
No. 1: Mandi Orellana/Katie Lindelow (LSU) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 17-21, 21-15, 15-10
No. 2: Cati Leak/Callan Molle (LSU) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-14, 21-19
No. 3: Helen Boyle/Cheyenne Wood (LSU) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 21-16, 21-19
No. 4: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Carly Morris/Katarina Raicevic (LSU) 21-17, 24-22
No. 5: KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) def. Riley Young/Emma Hiller (LSU) 21-15, 21-13
Exh.: Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfedlt (SC) won 21-16, 21-18
ULM 4, South Carolina 1
No. 1: Marcela Araya/Michelle McNamee (ULM) def. Paige Wheeler/Megan Kent (SC) 21-15, 21-14
No. 2: Katie Lindstrom/Hope Pawlik (ULM) def. Maddie Frome/Julia Mannisto (SC) 21-17, 22-20
No. 3: Hadley Swartz/Bayleigh Hoffman (ULM) def. Sarah Blomgren/Jade Vitt (SC) 24-22, 21-14
No. 4: Jade Hayes/Macie Tendrich (SC) def. Alannah Cullum/Taylor Zaeske (ULM) 21-14, 21-18
No. 5: Claire Crossfield/Kaitlyn Shearer (ULM) def. KoKo Atoa-Williams/Allie Monserez (SC) 21-16, 18-21, 15-12
Exh.: Litsa Darby/Erin Neuenfedlt (SC) lost 21-17, 21-19
