Saturday, April 15
Birmingham, Ala. / UAB Beach Volleyball Courts
8 a.m.
Southern Miss
2
vs
3
Central Arkansas
Beach Volleyball Comes Up Short In Blazer Beach Bash
4/15/2023 7:33:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern Miss falls in three hard-fought matches at the Blazer Beach Bash. The Golden Eagles came close in two matches, including one potential upset against No. 17 Tulane.
"I think it would have been easy for us to fold today with things not going our way," said fourth-year head coach Shawn Taylor. "We stayed in it and kept competing and we kept working to find ways to score points. We did some great thins on the mental side and our volleyball IQ continues to expand. Again, I'm proud of our resilience today."
Game One – Central Arkansas 3, Southern Miss 2
Southern Miss dropped an 8 a.m. breakfast match to Central Arkansas, giving the Beach Bears their first win over the Golden Eagles this season.
"It was a rough start to the day and I felt we came out a bit flat," said Taylor. "Credit to UCA because they were ready. I felt like we did get better as the match went on, but it was too little, too late."
Hallie Phelan and Taylor Pierce paired at the twos and earned a two-set victory. Madison Cassidy and Kellie Garraway picked up the Golden Eagles' second and final point of the match at the fifth position in three sets, winning a dominant 15-5 rubber set.
Box Score
1. Ryenne Gepford/Bria Garmon (UCABVB) def. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) 21-17, 21-19
2. Hallie Phelan/Taylor Pierce (USM) def. Evelyn Griffith/Marissa Gilmore (UCABVB) 21-17, 21-19
3. Julia Oravec/Anna Linskey (UCABVB) def. Reagan Sandlin/Valeria Siakidou (USM) 21-17, 16-21, 15-12
4. Kayla Cook/Payton Sproule (UCABVB) def. Ashlyn Rough/Morgan Perry (USM) 21-17, 21-14
5. Madison Cassidy/Kellie Garraway (USM) def. Madelyn White/Charlie Tidwell (UCABVB) 19-21, 21-15, 15-5
Ext. Wiio Meinheit/Dylan Russell (USM) def. Anna Collums/Naya Tan (UCABVB) 21-18, 21-12
Game Two – UAB 4, Southern Miss 1
The Golden Eagles dusted themselves off looking to rebound against host UAB. Reagan Sandlin and Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou claimed Southern Miss' only point of the match at the third position in another three-set thriller.
"Against UAB, we started off slow again but continued ot get better as the match went on. Reagan [Sandlin] and Val [Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou] did a great job of grinding out a three-set win," said Taylor. "I thought we had a chance at the 1s and 3s, but we struggled at times to side-out and UAB didn't give us many points on our serves."
Top fight pair Vanessa Hurnikova and Ola Chudzik and fifth position pairing of Cassidy and Garraway each pushed the Blazers to three sets but came up just short.
Box Score
1. Arden Copping/Jasmine Haas (UAB) def. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) 21-13, 16-21, 15-10
2. Brooke Pertuit/Mikayla Law-Heese (UAB) def. Hallie Phelan/Taylor Pierce (USM) 21-12, 21-15
3. Reagan Sandlin/Valeria Siakidou (USM) def. Jessica Ennis/Adriana Pereira (UAB) 23-21, 19-21, 17-15
4. Emma Andraka/Ella Alexander (UAB) def. Ashlyn Rough/Morgan Perry (USM) 21-14, 21-14
5. Olivia Stant/Olivia Chychrun (UAB) def. Madison Cassidy/Kellie Garraway (USM) 21-11, 11-21, 15-12
Ext. Dylan Russell/Wiio Meinheit (USM) def. Ali O'Donnell/Ellie Heflin (UAB) 21-14, 21-13
Game Three – No. 17 Tulane 3, Southern Miss 2
In the final match of the day, Southern Miss faced a more than familiar foe in Tulane. The Green Wave entered ranked 17th in the nation.
"Versus Tulane, I again thought we had a great shot," said Taylor. "Hallie [Phelan] and T [Taylor Pierce] played a great match. Kellie [Garraway] and Madison [Cassidy] did a great job of managing the wind and getting ther service game going. They played nine sets over the course of the day and still were able to come out with a win. Ola [Chudzik] and Vanessa [Hurnikova] added the final team point with a two-set thriller that went down to the wire.
Indeed, the Golden Eagles were within reach of the program's first win over a ranked opponent. Hurnikova and Chudzik gutted out a two-set win over the Green Wave's top pair with Cassidy and Garraway pairing at the 5s once again for the pair's second win of the day.
Cassidy and Garraway played to a 31-29 final in the first set, needing a 15-8 third set decision to put the Green Wave to bed.
Ultimately, the Golden Eagles fell to the Green Wave but revenge could be Southern Miss' as the two teams meet for a twinbill next weekend.
#17 Tulane 3, Southern Miss 2
1. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) def. Mollie Ebertin/Maddie Speicher (TUL) 23-21, 21-19
2. Sara Hall/Samantha Mehlman (TUL) def. Hallie Phelan/Taylor Pierce (USM) 21-15, 15-21, 18-16
3. Abby Jackson/Ashton Mares (TUL) def. Reagan Sandlin/Valeria Siakidou (USM) 21-15, 21-14
4. Emily Heintzelman/Savka Popovic (TUL) def. Ashlyn Rough/Morgan Perry (USM) 21-18, 21-11
5. Madison Cassidy/Kellie Garraway (USM) def. Lara Torruella/Molly Trodd (TUL) 31-29, 16-21, 15-8
Ext. Simone Gibson/Sam O'Connor (TUL) def. Wiio Meinheit/Carmen Sanchez (USM) 21-19, 21-12
Up Next
Southern Miss makes its final appearance of the regular season in Elmwood, La. for a doubleheader against Tulane. Match one is set for 10:30 a.m.
"I think it would have been easy for us to fold today with things not going our way," said fourth-year head coach Shawn Taylor. "We stayed in it and kept competing and we kept working to find ways to score points. We did some great thins on the mental side and our volleyball IQ continues to expand. Again, I'm proud of our resilience today."
Game One – Central Arkansas 3, Southern Miss 2
Southern Miss dropped an 8 a.m. breakfast match to Central Arkansas, giving the Beach Bears their first win over the Golden Eagles this season.
"It was a rough start to the day and I felt we came out a bit flat," said Taylor. "Credit to UCA because they were ready. I felt like we did get better as the match went on, but it was too little, too late."
Hallie Phelan and Taylor Pierce paired at the twos and earned a two-set victory. Madison Cassidy and Kellie Garraway picked up the Golden Eagles' second and final point of the match at the fifth position in three sets, winning a dominant 15-5 rubber set.
Box Score
1. Ryenne Gepford/Bria Garmon (UCABVB) def. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) 21-17, 21-19
2. Hallie Phelan/Taylor Pierce (USM) def. Evelyn Griffith/Marissa Gilmore (UCABVB) 21-17, 21-19
3. Julia Oravec/Anna Linskey (UCABVB) def. Reagan Sandlin/Valeria Siakidou (USM) 21-17, 16-21, 15-12
4. Kayla Cook/Payton Sproule (UCABVB) def. Ashlyn Rough/Morgan Perry (USM) 21-17, 21-14
5. Madison Cassidy/Kellie Garraway (USM) def. Madelyn White/Charlie Tidwell (UCABVB) 19-21, 21-15, 15-5
Ext. Wiio Meinheit/Dylan Russell (USM) def. Anna Collums/Naya Tan (UCABVB) 21-18, 21-12
Game Two – UAB 4, Southern Miss 1
The Golden Eagles dusted themselves off looking to rebound against host UAB. Reagan Sandlin and Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou claimed Southern Miss' only point of the match at the third position in another three-set thriller.
"Against UAB, we started off slow again but continued ot get better as the match went on. Reagan [Sandlin] and Val [Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou] did a great job of grinding out a three-set win," said Taylor. "I thought we had a chance at the 1s and 3s, but we struggled at times to side-out and UAB didn't give us many points on our serves."
Top fight pair Vanessa Hurnikova and Ola Chudzik and fifth position pairing of Cassidy and Garraway each pushed the Blazers to three sets but came up just short.
Box Score
1. Arden Copping/Jasmine Haas (UAB) def. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) 21-13, 16-21, 15-10
2. Brooke Pertuit/Mikayla Law-Heese (UAB) def. Hallie Phelan/Taylor Pierce (USM) 21-12, 21-15
3. Reagan Sandlin/Valeria Siakidou (USM) def. Jessica Ennis/Adriana Pereira (UAB) 23-21, 19-21, 17-15
4. Emma Andraka/Ella Alexander (UAB) def. Ashlyn Rough/Morgan Perry (USM) 21-14, 21-14
5. Olivia Stant/Olivia Chychrun (UAB) def. Madison Cassidy/Kellie Garraway (USM) 21-11, 11-21, 15-12
Ext. Dylan Russell/Wiio Meinheit (USM) def. Ali O'Donnell/Ellie Heflin (UAB) 21-14, 21-13
Game Three – No. 17 Tulane 3, Southern Miss 2
In the final match of the day, Southern Miss faced a more than familiar foe in Tulane. The Green Wave entered ranked 17th in the nation.
"Versus Tulane, I again thought we had a great shot," said Taylor. "Hallie [Phelan] and T [Taylor Pierce] played a great match. Kellie [Garraway] and Madison [Cassidy] did a great job of managing the wind and getting ther service game going. They played nine sets over the course of the day and still were able to come out with a win. Ola [Chudzik] and Vanessa [Hurnikova] added the final team point with a two-set thriller that went down to the wire.
Indeed, the Golden Eagles were within reach of the program's first win over a ranked opponent. Hurnikova and Chudzik gutted out a two-set win over the Green Wave's top pair with Cassidy and Garraway pairing at the 5s once again for the pair's second win of the day.
Cassidy and Garraway played to a 31-29 final in the first set, needing a 15-8 third set decision to put the Green Wave to bed.
Ultimately, the Golden Eagles fell to the Green Wave but revenge could be Southern Miss' as the two teams meet for a twinbill next weekend.
#17 Tulane 3, Southern Miss 2
1. Vanessa Hurnikova/Ola Chudzik (USM) def. Mollie Ebertin/Maddie Speicher (TUL) 23-21, 21-19
2. Sara Hall/Samantha Mehlman (TUL) def. Hallie Phelan/Taylor Pierce (USM) 21-15, 15-21, 18-16
3. Abby Jackson/Ashton Mares (TUL) def. Reagan Sandlin/Valeria Siakidou (USM) 21-15, 21-14
4. Emily Heintzelman/Savka Popovic (TUL) def. Ashlyn Rough/Morgan Perry (USM) 21-18, 21-11
5. Madison Cassidy/Kellie Garraway (USM) def. Lara Torruella/Molly Trodd (TUL) 31-29, 16-21, 15-8
Ext. Simone Gibson/Sam O'Connor (TUL) def. Wiio Meinheit/Carmen Sanchez (USM) 21-19, 21-12
Up Next
Southern Miss makes its final appearance of the regular season in Elmwood, La. for a doubleheader against Tulane. Match one is set for 10:30 a.m.
Players Mentioned
/ Beach Volleyball
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/ Beach Volleyball
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/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
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