HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Coastal Carolina beach volleyball team advanced to the championship match at the 2024 Sun Belt Women's Beach Volleyball Championship with a 3-2 win over No. 2-seeded UNCW, but fell to No. 15-ranked and top-seeded Georgia State, 3-1, on Saturday in Huntsville, Ala.
With the split on the day, Coastal Carolina moved to 27-10 overall.
Match 1: No. 3 Coastal Carolina 3, No. 2 UNCW 2
Julia Blazek and Emma Plutnick scored the first point for the Chants on court two as they rolled to a 21-10, 21-17 win.
Madison Allred and
Raychel Ehlers put CCU up 2-1 with a straight-set win on court five, 21-15, 21-18.
The Chanticleers sealed the dual win as
Martine Kragholm and
Sarah Riedell secured a 21-19, 21-11 victory at the No. 1 flight to send Coastal back to the title match for the second consecutive year.
Match 2: No. 1 Georgia State 3, No. 3 Coastal Carolina 1
Coastal fell behind to start the match, but Kragholm and Riedell battled to a 21-18, 21-18 win on court one to even the match.
Courts two and three both featured sets that went into extra points, but Georgia State won both flights in straight sets to end the match. Allred and Ehlers were one point away from winning on court five when the contest was decided.
The Sandy Chants will hope to earn an at-large berth to the 2024 NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala. The selection show will air Sunday at 11:00 a.m. on NCAA.com
Results
No. 3 Coastal Carolina 3, No. 2 UNCW 2
1. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) def. Gabby LaPata/Sadie Sharkey (UNCW): 21-19, 21-11
2. Julia Blazek/Emma Plutnicki (CCU) def. Charlotte Cronister/Maddy Folks (UNCW): 21-10, 21-17
3. Ellie Bucci/Gracie Sistrunk (UNCW) def. Ellie Hanford/Emma Kunaus (CCU): 21-16, 21-17
4. Bri Haggerty/Sarah Thompson (UNCW) def. Madie Lichty/Denisse Morgenstern (CCU): 19-21, 21-17, 15-10
5. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) def. Jadyn Barry/Traci Schrock (UNCW): 21-15, 21-15
Order of finish: 2, 3, 5, 1, 4
No. 1 Georgia State 3, No. 3 Coastal Carolina 1
1. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) def. Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary (GSU): 21- 18, 21-18
2. Aree Keller/Lila Bordis (GSU) vs. Julia Blazek/Emma Plutnicki (CCU): 21-16, 25- 23
3. Destiny White/Savannah Ebarb (GSU) def. /Ellie Hanford/Emma Kunaus (CCU): 25-23, 21-18
4. Elise Saga/Aliisa Vuorinen (GSU) def. Madie Lichty/Denisse Morgenstern (CCU): 21-18, 21-19
5. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) def. Courtney Smith/Ayla Johnson (GSU): 21-18, 21-20 unfinished
Order of finish: 4, 1, 2, 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.
