ATLANTA - The Georgia State sand volleyball concluded its sophomore season with a Top 10 ranking and several firsts in program history.
The Panthers were ranke five of the six times in the AVCA sand volleyball polls. Georgia State cracked the Top 10 on March 19, 2014, marking the first time in program history the team was ranked. The highest ranking in program history came on April 2, when the Panthers reached No. 8 in the nation.
“Being ranked was exciting and an honor,” head coach Beth Van Fleet said. “At the same time, it was part of our larger goal of being qualified for the AVCA National Championships in May. This was one stairstep en route to our goal of playing for a national title.”
Even though the Panthers did not advance as a team to the AVCA National Championships or send any pairs like the year before, when Lane Carico and Katie Madewell reached the semi-finals of the pair tournament, the team overall improved from its inaugural season. In its sophomore season, the Panthers went 14-5 in dual matches, a step up from their 8-9 freshman season.
“Our program gets stronger each year because we learn from our seniors' experiences and what they leave behind in their legacy,” Van Fleet said. “Our newcomers adapt to our culture quickly. They've learned from the culture left behind by Lane and Katie and what we developed in our inaugural season. Our younger athletes strive to hit these heights.”
From the inaugural season, Georgia State returned 10 of its original 12 members, including Madewell as one of the two upperclassmen. Eight freshman became sophomores and five of these sophomores were in the starting lineup the majority of the season. Senior Madewell, graduate student Moriah Bellissimo and freshmen Delaney Rohan, Sarah Agnew and Natalie Wilson rounded out the starting lineup for the Panthers the majority of the season.
The growth Georgia State experienced was evident on the court. The Panthers pulled off their first upset of a ranked opponent on March 11, when the Panthers defeated No. 9 FIU 3-2 at the Diggin' Duals tournament. The Panthers also took a point off No. 1 Pepperdine when the Waves visited Atlanta. Rawls and Agnew, at the No. 3 flight, defeated Pepperdine's Delaney Knudsen and Caitlin Racich 21-17, 14-21, 15-9. At the fifth flight, Townsend and Rohan pushed Samantha Cash and Sophie Asprey to three sets in 21-13, 18-21, 15-12 loss.
Georgia State began the season on an 8-1 streak. The only loss came against No. 9 FIU on March 9, which the Panthers avenged the following weekend. At Georgia State's first home tournament, the Panthers went 3-0 against FIU, South Carolina and Mercer.
Over the course of the season, Georgia State faced four ranked opponents, including No. 1 Pepperdine and No. 4 Florida State. Against both the Waves and the Seminoles, the Panthers grabbed a point, losing both the matches 4-1. Even with the losses against these top programs, Van Fleet has seen progress in her ever-evolving team.
“When I think of highlights from this season, I think of our home events, beating a ranked team and jus the effort our team gave all season,” Van Fleet. “We never gave up and encouraged each other all season. Both our third and fifth flights had some incredible matches. They are both exciting to watch and have great rallies.
“Sara [Olivova] and Jansen [Button] had some clutch wins for us, including the Stetson match at the end of the season. They've really grown as players and a pair. Milani [Pickering] and Natalie [Wilson] contributed to the No. 1 flight at home in the beginning of the season had some really big wins for us. Moriah [Bellissimo] and Katie [Madewell] finished the season on the high note and left a legacy for our younger players.”
Georgia State will lose Madewell and Bellissimo in the transition from the second year to its junior year. The Panthers announced Wednesday it added Nina Interwies, a junior college transfer from St Petersburg College with sand volleyball experience to the roster the 2014-15 season.
“I am incredibly proud of each athlete in our program and how we came together as a team day after day and week after week,” Van Fleet said. “The team pushed each other in practice and continued to support each other in competitions. I'm looking forward to seeing how this team continues to improve and reach for our goals.”
