Southern Miss Splits Opening Day of Home Event

Friday, April 2

Hattiesburg, Miss.

2 pm

Southern Miss

ULM

Southern Miss Splits Opening Day of Home Event

4/2/2021 10:28:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- A heartbreaker at the end of an unseasonably chilly April night was all that separated the Southern Miss beach volleyball team to open its home tournament with a sweep, defeating ULM and falling to Spring Hill, each by 3-2 scores Friday.

"Against ULM for the most part, I thought we played great," head coach Shawn Taylor said. "When it's good, we're great, but when we're bad, we're showing it. We have to manage our own side of the net a little better. When we start taking care of that, we'll be in good shape. It was a great win against ULM, and we positioned ourselves well against Spring Hill but didn't close it out. We have two good conference opponents tomorrow, and we'll need to be ready to play."

Kylie Grandy and Abbey Wilson improved to 5-0 at home this season, all coming this week. The indoor-to-beach duo of Madison Lawler and Kellie Garraway split up for the first time in each match, with the former joining Olivia Hepworth on No. 4 and the latter with Breleigh Favre on No. 3. Lawler and Hepworth won each battle.

All six courts went to three sets against ULM, a first for Southern Miss this season. Favre and Garraway's 21-15, 12-21 and 15-13 decision on No. 3 in the nightcap was the only three-setter of that contest.

The Golden Eagles will close out the weekend and homestand Saturday against CCSA foes UAB (2 p.m.) and Tulane (6 p.m.).

Southern Miss 3, ULM 2
1. Kylie Grandy/Abbey Wilson (USM) def. Audrey Brooks/Julia Blazek (ULM) 21-15, 13-21, 15-9
2. Kayla Gallant/Abigail Elder (ULM) def. Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou/Haley Hop (USM) 17-21, 21-18, 15-8
3. Anna Demmer/Katie McKay (ULM) def. Breleigh Favre/Kellie Garraway (USM) 23-21, 22-24, 15-11
4. Madison Lawler/Olivia Hepworth (USM) def. Elizabeth Moreland/Holland Ponthieux (ULM) 21-16, 23-25, 20-18
5. Hallie Phelan/Kai Norman (USM) def. Ina Gosen/Abbey Bufkin (ULM) 11-21, 21-18, 19-17
Ext. Avery Reynolds/Brooke Hoven (ULM) def. Melanie Miller/Kaylie Beck (USM) 10-21, 22-20, 18-16

Spring Hill 3, Southern Miss 2
1. Kylie Grandy/Abbey Wilson (USM) def. Kassandra Fairly/Payton Gidney (SPRSVB) 21-14, 21-12
2. Mikayla Boyer/Sarah Senft (SPRSVB) def. Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou/Haley Hop (USM) 21-19, 21-11
3. Leanne Sorrel/Allison Weimer (SPRSVB) def. Breleigh Favre/Kellie Garraway (USM) 21-15, 12-21, 15-13
4. Madison Lawler/Olivia Hepworth (USM) def. Natalie Bonner/Brooke Borgmeyer (SPRSVB) 21-19, 22-20
5. Linnea Beger/Kyla Shappell (SPRSVB) def. Hallie Phelan/Kai Norman (USM) 21-18, 21-9
Ext. Melanie Miller/Kaylie Beck (USM) def. MaryCoye Ward/Courtney Faulkner (SPRSVB) 23-21, 23-21