WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina volleyball team swept both the Virginia Tech Hokies and the UNCW Seahawks to conclude the weekend schedule at the Seahawk Volleyball Classic in Wilmington, N.C. on Saturday. With the pair of wins, the Chanticleers improved to 3-0 on the young season, while the Hokies and the Seahawks dropped to 1-1 and 0-3, respectively.

CCU opened the 2022 season without dropping a single set going 9-0 over the first three games. The last time that happened was in 2019 where the Chants opened the season with five straight sweeps (15-0) before dropping the second set of the sixth match.  
 
Coastal Carolina finished 3-0 over the weekend to win the Seahawk Volleyball Classic, while Agata Lesiak was named tournament MVP for her performances. Paulina Perez Rosas, Ella Saada, and Lesiak were named to the all-tournament team.

For the day, Lesiak, Saada, and Perez Rosas finished with 24, 20, and 16 kills, respectively, while Brigitta Petrenko finished with 65 assists.
 
Defensively, Saada and Nyla Shepherd paced the defense with five and four blocks, respectively, while Lina Perugini totaled 35 digs on the day.
 
Coastal 3, Virginia Tech 0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-21)
 
In the win against the Hokies, the trio of Lesiak, Saada, and Perez Rosas led the offensive attack for the Chants, as Lesiak finished with a new career-high 16 kills, followed by Perez Rosas and Saada with nine and eight kills, respectively. CCU finished with 41 assists with senior setter Petrenko finishing with 36 assists, six service aces, and four kills.
 
Defensively, the Chants' Shepherd and Saada had two blocks each, while senior libero Perugini finished with 22 digs.
 
CCU came from behind in the opening set as VT took a 9-5 advantage, but was unable to keep the Chanticleers at bay. Coastal used a pair of 3-0 runs to pull even at 16-16. The two teams traded points before the Chants fired off five straight points for the 24-18 advantage. After the Hokies tried to fight back, Christina Nance ended set one at 25-19 for Coastal.
 
Virginia Tech jumped out to the early lead in the second set before Coastal Carolina answered for the one-point lead at 5-4. After the two squads traded points, the Hokies went on a 3-0 run for an 8-6 advantage. Coastal answered with its own 3-0 run to go up 10-6. The Chants took control with a small 4-2 run, followed by their second 3-0 run of the match to take a five-point lead at 19-14. Virginia Tech outscored the Chanticleers 9-6 down the stretch, but it was too little, too late as Coastal held on for a 25-23 win.
 
In the final set of the first match, Coastal scored first for the early lead while the two teams traded points until the Chants pulled slightly away with a 3-0 run for the 8-5 advantage. VT answered with a 7-4 run to pull even at 12-12 before the Hokies would use a pair of 3-0 runs to take a 19-17 lead. CCU rallied with a 5-1 spurt to go up 22-20 just before closing the match with a 3-1 run to complete the sweep.
 
Coastal 3, UNCW 0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-16)
 
The Chanticleers earned their third consecutive sweep on the weekend with a strong start against host UNCW in the nightcap.
 
Coastal jumped out to an early 5-2 lead as the trio of Perez Rosas, Lesiak, and Saada each tallied a kill. True freshman Valentina Varani recorded a pair of service aces as the Chants extended their lead to 9-5. CCU took a seven-point lead as Lesiak, Saada, and Shepherd sparked a 3-0 run with one spike apiece. The two teams traded points with Coastal going up eight at 20-12 before the Seahawks fired off a 4-0 run to pull within four points. UNCW battled back, but was unable to muster the momentum to take control as Saada ended the first set with a kill at 25-22.
 
In set two, the Chanticleers jumped out to a 10-2 advantage on a pair of kills by Nance and Lesiak. Both teams swapped points before each team managed 3-0 runs, with CCU taking a 17-9 lead. With four kills from Saada and Shepherd, the two teams played even as Coastal picked up the 25-16 win.
 
Unlike the previous two sets, UNCW tallied the first point to take the early advantage before Coastal Carolina battled back to even it up on a Seahawk miscue and sparked a 6-0 run to give the Chants control at 9-4. UNCW pulled to within one point on a pair of Seahawk service aces before both squads would trade mini runs with Coastal taking a 16-14 lead. The Chanticleers closed the match with a 7-2 run aided by a couple of Seahawk errors along with a pair of kills by Saada for the 25-16 win.
 
Coastal Carolina volleyball will return to action against Texas A&M on Friday, Sept. 2, as the Chants will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for the Fight in the Fort tournament on the campus of Texas Christian University.
 
For complete coverage of CCU women's volleyball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalVball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.