Beach Volleyball 4/30/2022 2:16:00 PM

Panthers Sweep FIU, 3-0, Claim First-Ever Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship Title

Beach Volleyball 4/30/2022 2:16:00 PM

Panthers Sweep FIU, 3-0, Claim First-Ever Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship Title

Huntsville, Ala.— Competing in the inaugural 2022 Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship title match, the No. 15 ranked Georgia State beach volleyball team defeated No. 13 FIU, 3-0, to secure the first-ever C-USA Championship title on Saturday. With the 26th victory on the year, head coach Beth Van Fleet and the Sandy Panthers claim the team's first conference championship and tie the school record for wins in a season previously set by Van Fleet and the team in 2016.

Third-seeded No. 15 GSU entered the day having defeated top-seeded No. 10 FAU to advance to the conference title match on Friday. With a double elimination tournament format, FAU would fall to No. 2 seed FIU on Saturday morning and the Panthers were to face the conference foe for a rematch.

GSU downed FIU, 4-1, in its previous meeting with the team on Thursday. Coming off a third straight win throughout C-USA tournament play, the Panthers opened Saturday's title match with confidence and jumped out to an early advantage with first-set victories on three of five courts.

Chloee Kleespies and Becky Tresham earned GSU its first point of the match with a dominant straight-set victory, 21-19, 21-8, at the fifth flight. Kleespies and Tresham received Pair of the Tournament honors while being named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing the weekend unbeaten at 4-0.

All-Conference USA First-Team pair Angel Ferary and Bella Ferary earned the team its second point as the sisters secured a victory in straight sets, 22-20, 24-22, at the fourth court. The duo finished undefeated for the tournament at 4-0 and received All-Tournament Team honors as a pair.

With the 34th victory for the spring, the Ferary duo bests the single-season school record for wins by a pair previously standing at 33 while tying the school record for individual wins in a season each at 34. The pair also currently holds the school record for highest winning percentage in a season at .944%.

Leading 2-0, Kayla Whetstone and Yasmin Kuck clinched the dual for the Panthers with a victory, 24-22, 21-13, at flight No. 3. Kuck and Whetstone round out the Panthers' All-Tournament entries with three pairs having been named to the team.

With the C-USA title victory, GSU earns the conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship beginning Wednesday, May 4 in Gulf Shores, Ala. The 2022 NCAA beach volleyball selection show will be streamed live on Saturday, April 30 at 9 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

The 2022 tournament bracket will be released immediately following the selection show and will be posted to the team's social media and on the web at georgiastatesports.com. Follow @GSUBeachVB on Twitter and Instagram for continued news and announcements leading up to the national tournament in Gulf Shores.

All-Tournament Team Pairs
Kayla Whetstone/Yasmin Kuck, Georgia State
Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary, Georgia State
Chloee Kleepsies/Becky Tresham, Georgia State
Arden Copping/Mikayla Law-Heese, UAB
Marketa Svozilova/Courtney Moon, Florida Atlantic
Paige Kalkhoff/Giada Bianchi, FIU
Kendall Mather/Lisa Luini, FIU

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