SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Eckerd beach volleyball team opened the SSC Championship with a pair of losses on Friday, falling 3-1 to Florida Southern in the morning and 3-0 to Palm Beach Atlantic in the afternoon.
Eckerd (6-20) fell in its first match of the day to Florida Southern (20-9), 3-1.
Emma Samuelson and Mariana Olivares-Cely delivered the Tritons' only victory of the day in the No. 4 draw, defeating Moccasins' Hailey Carefoot and Isabella Muti in straight sets. The duo closed out the match 21-16 and 21-19.
Teagan VanderMey and Ella Kloepper dropped the first set 21-11, but then came back to take the second set 23-21. Just one point away from victory in the decisive third set, the match was cut short as Florida Southern had already clinched the overall team result.
In the No. 2 spot, Jocelyn Escoffery and Maddie Prois fell in their first set 21-18, but then dug deep to secure the second set 21-15. The Tritons came up just short in the third set, falling 15-13 in a tightly contested finish.
The second match ended in a 3-0 loss to PBA (14-10) for Eckerd.
Brooke Hand and Anna Jupin dropped the first set 21-11 but battled back with a strong second-set effort that was cut short after PBA clinched the overall team victory. VanderMey and Kloepper narrowly fell to the Sailfish in straight sets, 21-17 and 21-18.
The Tritons return to action Thursday, April 17th, for the AVCA Small College Championships.
Results
Game One
Florida Southern College 3, Eckerd 1
1. Emma Winford and Ashli Mckenny (FSC) def. Brooke Hand and Anna Jupin (ECBV) 14-21, 21-15, 15-9
2. Sydney Melcher and Nicole Eden (FSC) vs. Teagan VanderMey and Ella Kloepper (ECBV) match was unfinished 11-21, 23-21, 14-15
3. Reagan Carlton and Zoe Lowe (FSC) def. Addie White and Madison Harbarger (ECBV) 21-19, 21-7
4. Emma Samuelson and Mariana Olivares-Cely (ECBV) def. Hailey Carefoot and Isabella Muti (FSC) 21-16, 21-19
5. Hayley St. Martin and Mary Olivia Muti (FSC) def. Jocelyn Escoffery and Maddie Prois (ECBV) 20-18, 15-21, 15-13
Game Two
Palm Beach Atlantic University 3, Eckerd 0
1. Anna Dunbar and Serena Baumgart (PBA) vs. Brooke Hand and Anna Jupin (ECBV) match was unfinished 21-11, 22-23
2. Camdyn Albrecht and Katelyn Nadeau (PBA) def. Teagan VanderMey and Ella Kloepper (ECBV) 21-17, 21-18
3. Abby Plevin and Annika Huhtamaki (PBA) def. Addie White and Madison Harbarger (ECBV) 22-20, 21-12
4. Sydney Corbett and Savannah DeCarlo (PBA) def. Emma Samuelson and Mariana Olivares-Cely (ECBV) 21-13, 21-15
5. Angela Goggin and Cameron Ring (PBA) vs. Jocelyn Escoffery and Maddie Prois (ECBV) match was unfinished 21-18, 14-14
