GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No.11th-ranked Florida Atlantic University beach volleyball team (9-6, 3-0 in Conference USA) beat its highest ranked opponent in program history after defeating No. 5 LSU (15-1) with a dual score of 3-2. The Owls’ victory handed the Tigers their first loss of the season. Erica Brok and Mackenzie Morris, who finished 4-1 on the weekend, clinched the match for the Owls.
QUOTABLE
“Today’s win was for Capri [Grotowski],” said assistant coach Steve Grotowski. “We have been really close to playing our style of volleyball and today we nailed it! Abby [Jackson]/Logan [Mignerey] came out at the 5s and set the tone for the whole team. They were confident and aggressive. It was just what we needed!”
HOW IT WAS DECIDED VS. NO. 5 LSU
Vs. No. 5 LSU (W, 3-2)
As Coach Grotowski mentioned, Jackson/Mignerey set the tone for the whole match on court five by winning in straight sets, 21-13, 21-19. LSU then tied the dual score at 1-1 following a 21-13, 21-17 win on court four. Courtney Moon/Marketa Svozilova brought it back for the Owls on court two with a 21-12, 21-17 straight set victory, as the Owls led 2-1. Court’s three match would then fall in the Tigers’ favor (21-16, 21-19), leaving it up to court one for the match decision. Brok/Morris dropped the first set 17-21, but forced a third set with a 21-17 victory in set two. The pair continued to pull away with a dominant 15-8 advantage in the third set to clinch the match for FAU.
Scores
1. Erica Brok/Mackenzie Morris (FAU) def. Bella Bauman/Ashlyn Rasnick-Page (LSU) 17-21, 21-17, 15-8 (finished fifth)
2. Courtney Moon/Marketa Svozilova (FAU) def. Kylie Deberg/Parker Bracken (LSU) 21-12, 21-17 (finished third)
3. Holly Carlton/Reilly Alfred (LSU) def. Ellie Austin/Julie Honzovicova (FAU) 21-16, 21-19 (finished fourth)
4. Kelli Greene-Agnew/Grace Seits (LSU) def. Jillienne Cangelosi/Christine Jarman (FAU) 21-13, 21-17 (finished second)
5. Abby Jackson/Logan Mignerey (FAU) def. Sierra Caffo/Ellie Shank (LSU) 21-13, 21-19 (finished first)
NOTABLES
- Brok and Morris finished the weekend with a 4-1 record, downing the court one pairs from the No. 5, 7 and 15th-ranked teams in the country. The duo is 82-26 all-time as a pair with an 11-3 mark on the season
- Moon/Svozilova boast the second best record on the team as a pair this season at 7-3
- Jackson/Mignerey paired up for the first time this season and it paid off, as the pair earned the win to set the tone in the match
- Jackson has the fifth most wins on court five in school history with 10
- FAU broke a five-match losing streak to the Tigers, becoming the first time since 2018 the team has beaten LSU
UP NEXT
The Owls will head to DeLand, Florida for the Stetson Beach Bash next weekend. FAU is set to face tournament-host Stetson, as well as C-USA foes Georgia State, FIU and Coastal Carolina from Saturday, March 26 to Sunday, March 27.
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