DELAND, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2020) – The 18th-ranked Florida Atlantic University beach volleyball team earned a pair of victories at the Stetson Spring Fling on Friday. FAU swept St. Leo 5-0 and defeated No. 16 Georgia State to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Match 1 vs. St. Leo
Megan McGrath and Maylin Bouffard took a 21-9, 21-18 decision on court five for the first point of the match. Sam Gott and Jillenne Cangelosi won their match on court four 21-18, 21-10. Erica Brok and Mackenzie Morris recorded a 21-10, 21-13 sweep at No. 1 to clinch the match for the Owls. Kaila Dorish and Courtney Moon earned a 21-17, 21-14 victory on court three, followed by Savannah Pesante and Ellie Austin taking a 21-16, 21-15 win at No. 2 to complete the clean sweep for FAU. On the exhibition court, Bailey Myott and Abby Jackson won in straight sets, 21-12, 21-16.
#18 Florida Atlantic 5, St. Leo 0
1. Erica Brok/Mackenzie Morris (FAU) def. Nina Vattovaz/Anna Garrett (SLU) 21-10, 21-13
2. Savannah Pesante/Ellie Austin (FAU) def. Brooke Turner/Payton Bellano (SLU) 21-16, 21-15
3. Kaila Dorish/Courtney Moon (FAU) def. Arlaina Stephenson/Marissa Rakauskas (SLU) 21-17, 21-14
4. Sam Gott/Jillenne Cangelosi (FAU) def. Madi Certain/Michelle Cuervo (SLU) 21-18, 21-10
5. Megan McGrath/Maylin Bouffard (FAU) def. Kirsten Kaiser/Megan Keating (SLU) 21-9, 21-18
Ext. Bailey Myott/Abby Jackson (FAU) def. Phoebe Hammond/Morgan Leadens (SLU) 21-12, 21-16
Match 2 vs. No. 16 Georgia State
Gott and Cangelosi posted their second sweep of the day at No. 4 to put the Owls up 1-0. McGrath and Bouffard recovered from a first set defeat on court five to force a third set, but fell in the decisive frame 15-8, allowing the Panthers to even the score, 1-1. Dorish and Moon put FAU a point away from the win with their straight set victory at No. 3. The Owls’ top tandem came through with the clincher, as Brok and Morris took a 15-8 third set to seal the match. On court two, Pesante and Austin won a pair of thrilling sets to extend their season record to 6-0. Lily Richman and Jackie Farris forced a third set on the exhibition court, but fell 15-11 in the final frame.
#18 Florida Atlantic 4, #16 Georgia State 1
1. Erica Brok/Mackenzie Morris (FAU) def. Stasevich, Olivia/Johnson, Georgia (GSU) 21-19, 24-26, 15-8
2. Savannah Pesante/Ellie Austin (FAU) def. Delmonte, Maddy/Hawes, Eden (GSU) 21-19, 21-18
3. Kaila Dorish/Courtney Moon (FAU) def. Novack, Kate/Dorn, Kelly (GSU) 21-12, 21-19
4. Sam Gott/Jillenne Cangelosi (FAU) def. Saga, Elise/McCall, Meagan (GSU) 21-14, 21-19
5. Gordon, Maddie/Tresham, Becky (GSU) def. Megan McGrath/Maylin Bouffard (FAU) 21-18, 20-22, 15-9
Ext. Johnson, Mattie/Guthrie, Cara (GSU) def. Lily Richman/Farris, Jackie (FAU) 21-16, 17-21, 15-11
Quotable
FAU Head Coach Capri Grotowski
“I’m so proud of the team today. It’s never easy when you play a very tough (Georgia State) team two weeks in a row and win both matches. We played steady and stayed focused for both matches today. We will rest and recover to get ready for another tough day tomorrow.”
UP NEXT
The Owls wrap up action at the Stetson Spring Fling on Saturday when they face No. 7 Stetson and St. Petersburg College at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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– FAU –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 4-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 52-28 victory over SMU in the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visitwww.fau.edu.
