Tritons Fall in Battle Of the Bay Finale

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Eckerd beach volleyball team dropped three matches on the final day of the Battle on the Bay tournament. The Tritons fell to Palm Beach Atlantic 4-1, Tampa 4-1, and Missouri State 3-2 at the North Shore Courts in downtown St. Petersburg.

The top duo of Kitana Lim and Agata Sklepik were the only pairing to take a match against the Sailfish in the morning match. Lim and Sklepik bounced back from a 21-15 loss in the first set to take the match 21-10, 16-14. Dana Dull and Anna Jupin had a close first set in the No. 2 draw, falling 23-21 before dropping the match 21-14. The Tritons dropped each of the other four slots in straight sets.

Dana Dull and Joelle Coulter paired up for the first time this season and collected their first win as a pair over Tampa in the No. 2 draw. The duo took down Cassidy Ehrie and Angel Williams 21-17, 15-11 after trailing set one 21-11. Tampa won each of the other four slots in straight sets.

In the Tritons' tournament finale, they were just barely edged by Missouri State 3-2. Coulter and Dull picked up their second win in just as many matches, knocking off Becca Bach and Tyler Garrett 13-21, 21-16, 15-12 in the No. 2 slot. Jocelyn Escoffrey and Jessi Megrheblian won the No. 5 draw, taking down Addison Crider and Amanda Cleary in three sets; 16-21, 21-11, 15-11. Lim and Sklepik forced a third set in the No. 1 draw, but were unable to complete the victory, falling 21-17, 15-21, 15-13.

The Tritons (5-2) travel to Saint Leo on Thursday to play the Lions and Stevenson University in a tri-match at the Saint Leo Beach Volleyball Courts. 

PALM BEACH ATLANTIC 4, ECKERD 1

1. Kitana Lim/Agata Sklepik (ECBVB23) def. Ashleigh Holweger/Rebekah Machovec (PBABVB) 15-21, 21-10, 16-14
2. Lunden Evans/Mya Krystosek (PBABVB) def. Dana Dull/Anna Jupin (ECBVB23) 23-21, 21-14
3. Gabriella Aziz/Savannah DeCarlo (PBABVB) def. Joelle Coulter/Addie White (ECBVB23) 21-15, 21-16
4. Natalie Skopalova/Julia Golichowski (PBABVB) def. Grace Badlam/Jessi Megrheblian (ECBVB23) 21-11, 21-16
5. Karla Cantero/Abigail Mason (PBABVB) def. Nicki Bechtold/Jocelyn Escoffrey (ECBVB23) 21-12, 21-10
Ext. Kayleigh Hall/Hannah Warlick (PBABVB) def. Madison Hardbarger/Teagan VanderMey (ECBVB23) 21-8, 22-20

TAMPA 4, ECKERD 1

1. Payton Brunick/Julia Oswald (UT) def. Kitana Lim/Agata Sklepik (ECBVB23) 21-12, 17-21, 15-11
2. Dana Dull/Joelle Coulter (ECBVB23) def. Cassidy Ehrie/Angel Williams (UT) 11-21, 21-17, 15-11
3. Hailey Wolfe/Nevaeh Wolfe (UT) def. Anna Jupin/Addie White (ECBVB23) 21-10, 21-11
4. Madison Brunick/Keely Hamilton (UT) def. Grace Badlam/Teagan VanderMey (ECBVB23) 21-9, 21-12
5. Kalli Cors/Alivia Horn (UT) def. Sophia Romigh/Mariana OlivaresCely (ECBVB23) 21-16, 21-15
Ext. Anna Chechelnytska/Gia Marinelli (UT) def. Nicki Bechtold/Jocelyn Escoffrey (ECBVB23) 21-10, 21-18

MISSOURI STATE 3, ECKERD 2

1. Grayson Hall/Olivia Murriel (MSU) def. Kitana Lim/Agata Sklepik (ECBVB23) 21-17, 15-21, 15-13
2. Joelle Coulter/Dana Dull (ECBVB23) def. Becca Bach/Tyler Garrett (MSU) 13-21, 21-16, 15-12
3. Brooke Plessner/Olivia Rattler (MSU) def. Anna Jupin/Addie White (ECBVB23) 26-24, 17-21, 15-13
4. Manuela Niemeyer/MacKenzie Steele (MSU) def. Mariana OlivaresCely/Sophia Romigh (ECBVB23) 21-9, 21-8
5. Jocelyn Escoffrey/Jessi Megrheblian (ECBVB23) def. Addison Crider/Amanda Cleary (MSU) 16-21, 21-11, 15-11
Ext. Sydney Sampson/Madalyn Bass (MSU) def. Nicki Bechtold/Teagan VanderMey (ECBVB23) 26-24, 17-21, 4-2