ATLANTA – After going on an impressive eight game winning streak, the 2020 season came to an abrupt ending while Georgia State was on the way to California for a tournament. Although much of the season went unfinished, the Sandy Panthers have a lot to celebrate as they look forward. 
 
This season head coach Beth Van Fleet welcomed back four seniors and graduate transfer Cara Guthrie. The Sandy Panthers also added two freshmen to the line-up, Jessica Maxson and Elise Saga. 
 
The team entered the season ranked as the No. 17 team in the national polls. GSU got off to a quick start with a 4-1 victory over No. 10 FIU at the UNF Invitational. Over the opening weekend, the squad would pick up additional wins over UNF and Mercer before falling to No. 18 FAU.

"Opening weekend generally answers questions about training emphases, partnerships, and preparedness," Van Fleet. "We learned that we were on the right track and were able to identify additional areas of growth for our program."
 
After dropping two matches to start the Stetson Spring Fling, the Sandy Panthers regrouped and began their long winning streak with a 4-1 victory over St. Petersburg. The next weekend Georgia State would continue to build upon their momentum and prove themselves, sweeping three opponents at the College of Charleston Creekside Classic.
 
Although the season was cut short, the team did have the chance to defend their home turf at the annual Day of Duals. After defeating GSU 3-2 last season in Texas, No. 15 TCU traveled to Atlanta. This year, the Sandy Panthers would return the favor by downing the CCSA rival by the same score at the GSU Beach Complex. The team rounded out the event by surpassing both Mercer and UNF for the second time this season. 

"Our Day of Duals tournament is always a highlight in our season," said Van Fleet. "We competed well against three strong programs and were starting to see the results of our unwavering commitment to growth and learning."
 
Several Panthers accumulated notable marks in the four weeks of play. During the Day of Duals, senior Georgia Johnson earned her 71st career win, the fifth best in program history. Throughout her career, the Australia native played a majority of her duals in the first slot with partner Olivia Stasevich. The senior duo earned 50 wins throughout their collegiate career, the second most wins by a pair in GSU history. 
 
Three pairs recorded ten victories in the shortened season. Eden Hawes and Maddy Delmonte continued to build on their impressive campaign last season, accumulating ten wins primarily on court two. Courts three and four offered the Sandy Panthers the most consistency. In position three, senior Kate Novack and sophomore Kelly Dorn earned a team high 12 wins, only dropping two matches all season. On the fourth court, Maddie Gordon and Becky Tresham recorded an impressive eleven victories. 

During the 2020 season the team was able to see the results of their relentless grit, passion, and commitment through quality wins over high level programs. In addition, the Sandy Panthers cultivated a team culture that will lay a strong foundation going into next season.  
 
"I am most excited to get back in our sand and start working just as hard with the team," said Delmonte. "I think we still have a lot to prove and I cannot wait to see how the team bounces back even stronger."