FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – (March 15, 2019) – The sophomore duo of Erica Brok and Mackenzie Morris set the school record for career wins by a pair at the FIU Fort Lauderdale Invitational on Friday. Brok and Morris now have 34 wins as a tandem.
Match 1 vs. No. 8 FIU
Savannah Pesante and Kaila Dorish suffered their first loss of the season, falling in straight sets at no. 4, 21-18, 21-14. Megan McGrath and Jillienne McGrath dropped a pair of nailbiters on court five, 24-22, 22-20. On court one, Carly Scarbrough and Nicole Navarro were swept 21-13, 21-11. Brok and Morris earned their record setting victory in straight sets on court number two, 21-11, 21-18. Amanda Silva and Nicole Grant fell 21-13, 21-17 on court four to account for the final score. Ashlan Cunningham and Sam Gott overcame a first set loss to take a 15-8 third set on the exhibition court.
#8 FIU 4, #12 Florida Atlantic 1
1. Federica Frasca/Margherita Bianchin (FIU) def. Carly Scarbrough/Nicole Navarro (FAU) 21-13, 21-11
2. Mackenzie Morris/Erica Brok (FAU) def. Helene Thelle/Nina Petronovic (FIU) 21-11, 21-18
3. Ali Denny/Abbie Hughes (FIU) def. Amanda Silva/Nicole Grant (FAU) 21-13, 21-17
4. Dorina Klinger/Katie Friesen (FIU) def. Kaila Dorish/Savannah Pesante (FAU) 21-18, 21-14
5. Lina Bernier/Erika Zembyla (FIU) def. Megan McGrath (FAU)/Jillienne Cangelosi (FAU)
22-20, 24-22
Ext. Ashlan Cunningham/Sam Gott (FAU) def. Brooke McDermott/Maddie Besterfield (FIU) 17-21, 21-19, 15-8
Match 2 vs. No. 2 USC
McGrath and Cangelosi put the Owls on the board with a 21-16, 21-17 win at no. 5. Pesante and Dorish lost on court four, 21-10, 21-18. At no. 3, Silva and Grant took a demanding 27-25 first set win, but were unable to fend off a USC rally, ultimately losing 15-11 in the third set. Brok and Morris bounced back from a 21-17 loss in the first set on court two to take the second 21-18, but came up just short in the third, 15-12. Scarbrough and Navarro suffered a similar fate at no. 1, winning the second set 22-20 to force a third before falling 15-6 in the decisive frame. Ashlan Cunningham and Sam Gott outlasted the pair from USC 16-14 to take the exhibition match.
#2 USC 4, #12 Florida Atlantic 1
1. Tina Graudina/Abril Bustamante (USC) def. Carly Scarbrough/Nicole Navarro (FAU) 21-19, 20-22, 15-6
2. Sammy Slater/Terese Cannon (USC) def. Mackenzie Morris /Erica Brok (FAU) 21-17, 18-21, 15-12
3. Alexandra Poletto/Haley Hallgren (USC) vs. Amanda Silva/Nicole Grant (FAU) 25-27, 21-14, 15-11
4. Joy Denis/Hannah Martin (USC) def. Kaila Dorish/Savannah Pesante (FAU) 21-10, 21-18
5. Megan McGrath (FAU)/Jillienne Cangelosi (FAU) def. Mollie Ebertin/Maja Kaiser (USC) 21-16, 21-17
Ext. Ashlan Cunningham/Sam Gott (FAU) def. Laurel Kujan/Karina Myszkowski (USC)
21-11, 13-21, 16-14
Quotable
FAU Head Coach Capri Grotowski
“The girls played well, despite the windy conditions. We’re playing at a high level in spots, we just need to develop the consistency to maintain that high level of play.”
UP NEXT
The Owls (6-4, 3-3 CCSA) will travel to DeLand to play in the Stetson Invitational on Tuesday, March 19.
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 have captured two bowl games. 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.
