What you need to know:
* No. 9 Georgia State (24-7, 6-4 CCSA) took control of first place in Group 2 with a pair of 3-2 wins Friday.
* The Panthers finish group play Saturday at 9 a.m. against Tulane.
* The championship game on Sunday will be shown live on ESPN3.
EMERSON, Ga. – Competing at the inaugural Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Beach Volleyball Championships at Lakepoint Sports Complex, ninth-ranked Georgia State won both its group matches Friday to hold first-place in the group, defeating both No. 10 FIU and FAU 3-2.
As the top seed in Group 2, Georgia State took control with back-to-back 3-2 victories over Florida International and Florida Atlantic. All-Conference selections Nina Interwies and Kate Rawls went 2-0 on the day with two straight-set wins for the Panthers. The opening match came down to the No. 1 pairing of Jansen Button and Sara Olivova. The duo battled back from a set down to force a third set. A late rally in the third gave Georgia State the 15-13 victory and the match 3-2.
In the second match, the Panthers and Owls were tied 2-2 with all eyes on the No. 4 pairing of Brooke Weiner and Natalie Wilson. The pair earned a hard fought 21-19 win in the opening set and put the game away with a 21-14 win in the second set. Alexis Townsend and Chloe Cook were the other pair to secure a point as Georgia State moved to 2-0 in pool play. They advanced to bracket play already and can secure a bye into the semifinals with a win in tomorrow's pool finale.
In Group 1, top-seed Florida State also went 2-0 on the day. In Group 1, FIU and FAU each went 1-1 while Tulane went 0-2 on Saturday. Georgia State wraps up group play Saturday at 9 a.m. against Tulane.
If GSU wins the group, the Panthers receive a bye into the semifinals on Sunday. A second or third-place finish means playing in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Saturday. The team that finishes last in the group is eliminated.
The championship match is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. It will be shown live on ESPN3.com and on the WatchESPN app.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSUBeachVB) for the latest news.
