TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Coastal Carolina beach volleyball team opened up its 2023 spring season at the Seminole Beach Bash on Saturday, Feb. 25, falling 5-0 to two nationally-ranked opponents in No. 2 Florida State and No. 16 Florida International in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
Match 1: No. 2 Florida State 5, Coastal Carolina 0
The Chanticleers opened up the season against the host Seminoles, falling in all five matches in straight sets in the 5-0 defeat.
 
On court No. 1, the Coastal team of Martine Kragholm and Sarah Riedell suffered a 21-14, 21-12 loss to FSU's top flight of Maddie Anderson and Paige Kalkhoff, while on court No. 4 CCU's pair of Madison Allred and Raychel Ehlers fell 21-11, 21-10 to the Seminoles' Alex Hinton and Makenna Wolf to put the Sandy Chants down 2-0 early.
 
Coastal's team of Emma Gonzalez and Celia Ryan nearly scored a win over FSU's Angeline Bergner and Carra Sassack on court No. 5, falling 21-16, 22-20, while on court No. 2 the pair of Irena Drobnjak and Ellie Hanford was defeated by matching scores of 21-13, 21-13 to the FSU duo of Alexis Durish and Raelyn White.
 
The nationally-ranked Seminoles closed out the shutout with a 21-15, 21-18 win on court No. 3, as Anna Long and Jordan Polo held off CCU's team of Madie Lichty and Sarlota Svobodova.
 
Match 2: No. 16 FIU 5, Coastal Carolina 0
After opening up the season versus No. 2 FSU, the road did not get any easier with the second match of the day as the Sandy Chants fell 5-0 to No. 16 FIU.
 
However, this match proved to be more difficult than the FIU Panthers expected, as the Chanticleers forced three sets into extra points and dropped seven of the 10 sets by three points or less in the loss.
 
FIU opened the match with a 21-15, 21-9 win on court No. 5, as Madison Horton and Lisa Luini defeated the Coastal duo of Gonzalez and Ryan to go up 1-0.
 
CCU's team of Allred and Ehlers did not go away easily in a 21-18, 22-20 loss to Zuzanna Bielak and Annika Dimitriadas on court No. 5, while the Chants' pair of Kragholm and Riedell fell 21-19, 21-16 in a tight contest on court No. 1 to FIU's Robert Ribiero and Lucie Pokorna.
 
Coastal's Lichty and Svobodova nearly upset FIU's team of Rachele Mancinelli and Milica Vukobrat on court No. 4, fighting until the very end in a 24-22, 25-23 loss, while the pair of Drobnjak and Hanford pushed FIU's team of Giada Bianchi and Alice Pratesi to the limit in a 19-21, 21-18, 18-16 defeat on court No. 2.
 
Coastal (0-2) returns to the sand tomorrow (Sunday) to take on two other nationally-ranked teams in No. 13 Cal Poly and No. 20 Washington.
 
Results
 
No. 2 Florida State 5, Coastal Carolina 0
1. Maddie Anderson/Paige Kalkhoff (FSU) def. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) – 21-14, 21-12
2. Alexis Durish/Raelyn White (FSU) def. Irena Drobnjak/Ellie Hanford (CCU) – 21-13, 21-13
3. Anna Long/Jordan Polo (FSU) def. Madie Lichty/Sarlota Svobodova (CCU) – 21-15, 21-18
4. Alex Hilton/Makenna Wolf (FSU) def. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) – 21-11, 21-10
5. Angeline Bergner/Carra Sassack (FSU) def. Emma Gonzalez/Celia Ryan (CCU) – 21-16, 22-20
 
Order of Finish: 1, 4, 5, 2, 3
 
No. 16 FIU 5, Coastal Carolina 0
1. Roberta Ribiero/Lucie Pokorna (FIU) def. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) – 21-19, 21-16
2. Giada Bianchi/Alice Pratesi (FIU) def. Irena Drobnjak/Ellie Hanford (CCU) – 19-21, 21-18, 18-16
3. Rachele Mancinelli/Milica Vukobrat (FIU) def. Madie Lichty/Sarlota Svobodova (CCU) – 24-22, 25-23
4. Madison Horton/Lisa Luini (FIU) def. Emma Gonzalez/Celia Ryan (CCU) – 21-15, 21-9
5. Zuzanna Bielak/Athina Dimitriadas (FIU) def. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) – 21-16, 22-20
 
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 3, 2
 

For complete coverage of Coastal Carolina beach volleyball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBeachVB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.