FOLEY, Ala.-- The Georgia State beach volleyball team defeats No. 1 Coastal Carolina in the semifinals on Friday afternoon to earn its fourth-consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championship appearance.
After shutting out No. 7 Mercer and No.3 Southern Miss, the Sandy Panthers clinched the semifinals 3-2 against the No.1 Chanticleers to claim a spot in the championship game. The Panthers are set to face the winner of Coastal Carolina and UNC-Wilmington, which will be played on Saturday morning.
Game 9: GSU 3 | CCU 2
The Sandy Panthers picked up wins on courts three, four and five, overcoming a pair of losses on the top courts to clinch the match.
Georgia State struck first at the No. 4 position, where Kealy Dirner and Ella Mozeleski delivered a strong performance in a 21-13, 21-18 straight-set victory over Karis Gordon and Ava Novello. The win gave GSU an early 1-0 advantage.
Coastal Carolina answered on court two, as Michaela Jefferson and Danica Singleton dropped a three-set battle. After taking the first set 21-14, the duo fell 18-21 and 7-15, evening the dual at 1-1.
The Sandy Panthers regained control on court five behind Kaylie Drysdale and Ellie Neville, who posted a 21-12, 21-19 win over Kristyna Koblizkova and Olivia Pippin to put Georgia State back in front, 2-1.
Georgia State clinched the dual on court three, where Noalani Nuez and Adeline Thompson turned in a decisive straight-set victory, defeating Maya McNabney and Courtney Burnham 21-12, 21-17. Their win secured the match at 3-1.
At the top flight, Savannah Ebarb and Bella Troncale fell in a tight contest to Emma Kunaus and Frida Meincke Lyo, 16-21, 22-24, while Coastal Carolina also picked up a win on court two to round out the 3-2 final.
Game 5: GSU 5 | USM 0
The Sandy Panthers controlled the dual from the opening point, winning all five courts and securing the match early.
Georgia State struck first on court four, where Kealy Dirner and Ella Mozeleski earned a straight-set victory over Southern Miss' Y-Nhu Do and Iustina Corcoz, 21-14, 21-16. The win gave GSU an early 1-0 advantage and set the tone for the dual.
The lead quickly grew to 2-0 as Michaela Jefferson and Danica Singleton battled through three sets at the No. 2 position. The duo took the first set 21-15 before dropping the second 19-21, then responded with a dominant 15-5 third set to secure the point.
Georgia State clinched the match on court one, where Savannah Ebarb and Bella Troncale delivered a clutch performance in a tightly contested second set. After winning the opener 21-16, the pair outlasted Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda 26-24 in the second to seal the dual at 3-0.
At the No. 5 spot, Kaylie Drysdale and Ellie Neville extended the lead with a 21-13, 21-15 straight-set victory over Jaden White and Margarita Grigoreva. Rounding out the sweep, Noalani Nuez and Adeline Thompson rallied after dropping the first set to earn a three-set win on court three. The pair fell 16-21 in the opener but responded with a 21-18 second set and a decisive 15-8 third set to complete the 5-0 result.
Game 2: GSU 5 | MER 0
Georgia State beach volleyball opened the conference tournament with a 5-0 sweep over Mercer to advanced to game two against Southern Miss.
The Sandy Panthers controlled the dual from start to finish, winning four matches in straight sets and claiming two three-set victories to secure the shutout.
Georgia State jumped out early with a decisive win at the No. 4 position, where Kealy Dirner and Ella Mozeleski handled Mercer's Cyleigh Sayler and Giselle Estrada, 21-17, 21-9.
Moments later, the No. 3 tandem of Noalani Nuez and Adeline Thompson extended the lead to 2-0 with a convincing 21-10, 21-14 victory over Hollis Engel and Madeline Lee.
The clinching point came on court two, where Michaela Jefferson and Danica Singleton battled through a three-set match against Grace Rathburn and Kristi Talocka. After taking the opening set 21-18, the duo dropped the second 18-21 before responding emphatically in the third with a 15-4 decision to seal the team victory at 3-0.
At the top flight, Savannah Ebarb and Bella Troncale added another point with a straight-set win over Jordyn Thomas-Warren and Maggie Forsyth, 21-14, 22-20. The pair controlled the first set and held off a late push in the second to finish strong.
Rounding out the sweep, Kaylie Drysdale and Ellie Neville overcame a slow start at No. 5 to win in three sets. After dropping the first set 13-21, the duo regrouped to dominate the final two frames, 21-10 and 15-4, completing the 5-0 result.
