APSU Sports Information
Deland, FL – In a second match shortened due to the looming threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon, the Austin Peay State University (APSU) beach volleyball season came to a close at the ASUN Beach Championship, as the Governors fell to Florida Gulf Coast, 3-0, Friday morning, April 19th.
With the intent to expedite play, the ASUN championship committee elected to play each dual to clinch. The No. 1, 3 and 5 pairings played first, and if needed to determine the outcome, the No. 2 and 4 pairings would take the court.
The Governors’ (15-15, 4-4 ASUN) best shot to get the final two pairings to the court was at the No. 1 draw, as Jenna Panning and Haley Turner battled FGCU’s Amanda Carroll and Kirstine Garder.
After the Eagles’ (16-10, 4-4 ASUN) duo won the first set, 21-14, Panning and Turner rallied in the second and gave Carroll and Garder all they could handle. Neither pair could gain much separation, though the Govs did have two set points in regulation they could not capitalize on.
But the Eagles had opportunities to clinch in extras that Panning and Turner thwarted, going back-and-forth until ultimately Carroll and Garder prevailed, 26-24, to clinch the match for the Eagles.
In the No. 3 pairing, Ginny Gerig and Chloe Stitt had two tightly-contested sets with FGCU’s All-ASUN pairing of Snowy Burnham and Kayla Whetstone, but the Eagles’ duo secured the first point for their team with a 21-18, 21-17, finish.
The No. 5 draw saw MiMi Arrington and Caroline Waite keep up with their FGCU counterparts, but the Eagles’ pairing of Courtney VanLiew and Alayna Ryan prevailed, 21-15, 21-17, to secure FGCU’s second point.
Despite the season coming to an end, the Govs have a lot to be proud of, including making the conference tournament in their first season as ASUN members and setting the program’s high mark with 15 victories this season.
“We ran into a couple really talented teams down here, but I couldn’t be more proud of the way the girls fought and competed,” head coach Taylor Mott said. “Not only do I hope we use this trip as a learning experience, I also hope it serves as motivation as we continue to build this beach program.”
Box Score
FGCU 3, Austin Peay 0
1. Amanda Carroll/Kirstine Garder (FGCU) def. Jenna Panning/Haley Turner (APSU) 21-14, 26-24
2. Katherine Puisis/Karissa Rhoades (FGCU) vs. Ciera Koons/Brooke Moore (APSU) unfinished
3. Snowy Burnam/Kayla Whetstone (FGCU) def. Ginny Gerig/Chloe Stitt (APSU) 21-18, 21-17
4. Emma Hansen/Giovanna Borgiotti (FGCU) vs. Cori Theiss/Lucy Randall (APSU) unfinished
5. Cortney VanLiew/Alayna Ryan (FGCU) def. MiMi Arrington/Caroline Waite (APSU) 21-15, 21-17
