HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Coastal Carolina beach volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship with a 5-0 win over No. 6-seeded Southern Miss and a 3-2 victory against No. 2-seeded UNCW on Thursday at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex. 

Coastal improves to 26-8 overall on the season, setting the program record for wins in a season for the second consecutive year. 

Match 1: No. 3 Coastal Carolina 5, No. 6 Southern Miss 0
 
Madison Allred and Raychel Ehlers put the first point on the board from court five as they cruised to a 21-13, 21-14 win. Madie Lichty and Denisse Morgenstern put Coastal up 2-0 with a hard-fought straight-set win on court four, 21-15, 21-18.

The Chants clinched the dual win as Ellie Hanford and Emma Kunaus secured a 21-17, 21-19 victory at the No. 3 flight. Coastal sealed the sweep on the top two courts in a pair of third-set wins. Julia Blazek and Emma Plutnicki held on for a 21-16, 15-21, 15-13 win on court two and Martine Kragholm and Sarah Riedell closed the contest with a 21-16, 22-24, 15-12 victory at the No. 1 flight. 

Match 2: No. 3 Coastal Carolina 3, No. 2 UNCW 2
 
Coastal cored the first point of the dual from the No. 2 position as Blazek and Plutnicki won in straight sets, 21-15, 21-11. The Chanticleers doubled their advantage with a win by Allred and Ehlers on court five, 21-14, 21-15.

UNCW pulled within one, but Coastal's win went into the books when Lichty and Morgenstern delivered a 24-22, 21-16 win at the No. 4 flight.  

The Sandy Chants move into the winner's bracket final to take on No. 15-ranked and No. 1-seeded Georgia State on Friday at 4:00 p.m. The victor will move directly to the Sun Belt Championship dual. 
 
Results
 
No. 3 Coastal Carolina 5, No. 6 Southern Miss 0

1. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) def. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM): 21-16, 22-24, 15-12
2. Julia Blazek/Emma Plutnicki (CCU) def. Ola Chudzik/Sarah Murcezk (USM): 21- 16, 15-21, 15-13
3. Ellie Hanford/Emma Kunaus (CCU) def. Madison Cassidy/Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou (USM): 21-17, 21-19
4. Madie Lichty/Denisse Morgenstern (CCU) def. Ashlyn Rough/Dylan Russell (USM): 21-15, 21-18
5. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) def. Jessie Fairly/Carmen Sanchez Delgado (USM): 21-13, 21-14 

 
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
 
 
No. 3 Coastal Carolina 3, No. 2 UNCW 2

1. Gabby LaPata/Sadie Sharkey (UNCW) def. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU): 21-17, 21-19
2. Julia Blazek/Emma Plutnicki (CCU) def. Charlotte Cronister/Maddy Folks (UNCW): 21-15, 21-11
3. Ellie Bucci/Gracie Sistrunk (UNCW) def. Ellie Hanford/Emma Kunaus (CCU): 21- 17, 22-24, 15-16
4. Madie Lichty/Denisse Morgenstern (CCU) def. Bri Haggerty/Sarah Thompson (UNCW): 24-22, 21-16
5. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) def. Jadyn Barry/Traci Schrock (UNCW): 21-14, 21-15

Order of finish: 2, 5, 1, 4, 3

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.