University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 27
Macon, Ga. / Bear Beach
8 a.m. CT (9 a.m. ET)
Southern Miss
5
vs
0
College of Charleston
Beach Volleyball Finishes Undefeated in First Day of Sun Belt Mid-Season Tournament
3/27/2026 3:00:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
MACON, Ga. – Southern Miss (9-14, 2-0 Sun Belt) opened the first day of the Sun Belt Mid-Season Tournament with two dominating 5-0 wins over College of Charleston (5-14, 0-2 Sun Belt) and Mercer (4-13, 0-1 Sun Belt) on Friday at Bear Beach. The Golden Eagles' second win of the day tied the program record of six-straight victories.
Southern Miss now stands tied for the conference lead with Coastal Carolina ahead of the final day of the mid-year event. The Golden Eagles open tomorrow against the Chanticleers at 8 a.m. CT (9 a.m. ET) and close the week with a 12:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. ET) tilt against UNCW.
Laurel Dennis (Gulfport, Miss.) and Sadie McAda (Pleasanton, Texas) moved up the all-time program individual win records with two wins today, moving from a tie for fourth to together tied for second place behind Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou. The duo, who has played in every dual together for the past three seasons, owns 52 career wins apiece and need just four more to tie Papakyriakou's all-time record of 56 dual wins.
On the day, Southern Miss posted a 20-1 record over the 10 scoring sets, dropping just one set on the day.
Southern Miss 5, College of Charleston 0
The Golden Eagles opened the day against the College of Charleston with Margarita Grigoreva (Moscow, Russia) and Ryann Thomas (Georgetown, Ky.) taking the first point at the fifth pairing, winning 21-15 and 21-19. Y-Nho Do (Cary, N.C.) and Jaden White (West Palm Beach, Fla.) made it a 2-0 dual with a two-set (21-17, 21-18) fourth position final.
Dennis and McAda clinched the dual for Southern Miss with a dominant showing at the top flight, winning 21-13 and 21-10. Zuzanna Michalska (Warsaw, Poland) and Abby Lewis (The Woodlands, Texas) made it 4-0 with a 21-13 and 21-16 victory as the second pairing.
Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (Recife, Brazil) and Kitija Martini Adamsone (Marupe, Latvia) came back after falling 21-17 in the first set to take set two 25-23. The third pairing capped off the thrilling dual with a 20-18 third set victory, finishing things off 5-0 for Southern Miss.
The Cougars did pick up the exhibition win with Gabby Carr and Jordan Patrick defeating Lillie Johnson (Canyon Lake, Texas) and Brooklyn Bowdler (Paragould, Ark.) in three sets. Charleston's exhibition took the first set before Johnson and Bowdler took set two. The CofC pairing finished of the game with a 15-13 third set win.
Box Score
*1. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def. Paige Clark/Harleigh King (COFC) 21-13, 21-10
2. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) def. Holly Hopkins/Elizabeth Curry (COFC) 21-13, 21-16
3. Giovanna Gurgel Bahia/Kitija Martini Adamsone (USM) def. Alivia Newberg/Ella Duffner (COFC) 17-21, 25-23, 20-18
4. Y-Nhu Do/Jaden White (USM) def. Fiona North/Grace Toscano (COFC) 21-17, 21-18
5. Margarita Grigoreva/Ryann Thomas (USM) def. Sophie Sageer/Madison Loving (COFC) 21-15, 21-19
Ext. Gabby Carr/Jordan Patrick (COFC) def. Lillie Johnson/Brooklyn Bowdler (USM) 21-16, 17-21, 15-13
Order of finish: 5, 6, 4, 1*, 2, 3
Southern Miss 5, Mercer 0
The Golden Eagles picked up where they left off, playing back-to-back duals. White dropped down to the fifth pairing alongside Grigoreva and opened the dual with a 21-12, 21-10 victory. Iustina Corcoz (Bucharest, Romania) slotted in to the fourth pairing alongside Do, making the dual 2-0 after winning 21-16 and 24-22.
In second wave action, Dennis and McAda clinched the dual for Southern Miss once again with 21-17 and 21-14 wins. Michalska and Lewis ran the margin to 4-0 with a 21-15, 21-14 win in two sets at the second position. Bahia and Martini ran to a 21-15 first set victory and finished off the sweep with a 21-16 second set win.
At the exhibition, Kenzie Boyd (Hattiesburg, Miss.) and Thomas took the first set before dropping the second to Mercer's pairing. The exhibition game was left unfinished due to time constraints.
Box Score
*1. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def. Kristi Talocka/Grace Rathburn (MER) 21-17, 21-14
2. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) def. Jordyn Thomas-Warren/Maggie Forsyth (MER) 21-18, 21-14
3. Giovanna Gurgel Bahia/Kitjia Martini Adamsone (USM) def. Madeline Lee/Hollis Engel (MER) 21-15, 21-16
4. Iustina Corcoz/Y-Nhu Do (USM) def. Cyleigh Sayler/Finley Kenney (MER) 21-16, 24-22
5. Jaden White/Margarita Grigoreva (USM) def. Shealey Peck/Alayna Shrodes (MER) 21-12, 21-10
Ext. Riley Milner/Carly Lenhardt (MER) vs. Kenzie Boyd/Ryann Thomas (USM) 20-22, 21-18, unfinished
Order of finish: 5, 4, 1*, 2, 3
Southern Miss now stands tied for the conference lead with Coastal Carolina ahead of the final day of the mid-year event. The Golden Eagles open tomorrow against the Chanticleers at 8 a.m. CT (9 a.m. ET) and close the week with a 12:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. ET) tilt against UNCW.
Laurel Dennis (Gulfport, Miss.) and Sadie McAda (Pleasanton, Texas) moved up the all-time program individual win records with two wins today, moving from a tie for fourth to together tied for second place behind Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou. The duo, who has played in every dual together for the past three seasons, owns 52 career wins apiece and need just four more to tie Papakyriakou's all-time record of 56 dual wins.
On the day, Southern Miss posted a 20-1 record over the 10 scoring sets, dropping just one set on the day.
Southern Miss 5, College of Charleston 0
The Golden Eagles opened the day against the College of Charleston with Margarita Grigoreva (Moscow, Russia) and Ryann Thomas (Georgetown, Ky.) taking the first point at the fifth pairing, winning 21-15 and 21-19. Y-Nho Do (Cary, N.C.) and Jaden White (West Palm Beach, Fla.) made it a 2-0 dual with a two-set (21-17, 21-18) fourth position final.
Dennis and McAda clinched the dual for Southern Miss with a dominant showing at the top flight, winning 21-13 and 21-10. Zuzanna Michalska (Warsaw, Poland) and Abby Lewis (The Woodlands, Texas) made it 4-0 with a 21-13 and 21-16 victory as the second pairing.
Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (Recife, Brazil) and Kitija Martini Adamsone (Marupe, Latvia) came back after falling 21-17 in the first set to take set two 25-23. The third pairing capped off the thrilling dual with a 20-18 third set victory, finishing things off 5-0 for Southern Miss.
The Cougars did pick up the exhibition win with Gabby Carr and Jordan Patrick defeating Lillie Johnson (Canyon Lake, Texas) and Brooklyn Bowdler (Paragould, Ark.) in three sets. Charleston's exhibition took the first set before Johnson and Bowdler took set two. The CofC pairing finished of the game with a 15-13 third set win.
Box Score
*1. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def. Paige Clark/Harleigh King (COFC) 21-13, 21-10
2. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) def. Holly Hopkins/Elizabeth Curry (COFC) 21-13, 21-16
3. Giovanna Gurgel Bahia/Kitija Martini Adamsone (USM) def. Alivia Newberg/Ella Duffner (COFC) 17-21, 25-23, 20-18
4. Y-Nhu Do/Jaden White (USM) def. Fiona North/Grace Toscano (COFC) 21-17, 21-18
5. Margarita Grigoreva/Ryann Thomas (USM) def. Sophie Sageer/Madison Loving (COFC) 21-15, 21-19
Ext. Gabby Carr/Jordan Patrick (COFC) def. Lillie Johnson/Brooklyn Bowdler (USM) 21-16, 17-21, 15-13
Order of finish: 5, 6, 4, 1*, 2, 3
Southern Miss 5, Mercer 0
The Golden Eagles picked up where they left off, playing back-to-back duals. White dropped down to the fifth pairing alongside Grigoreva and opened the dual with a 21-12, 21-10 victory. Iustina Corcoz (Bucharest, Romania) slotted in to the fourth pairing alongside Do, making the dual 2-0 after winning 21-16 and 24-22.
In second wave action, Dennis and McAda clinched the dual for Southern Miss once again with 21-17 and 21-14 wins. Michalska and Lewis ran the margin to 4-0 with a 21-15, 21-14 win in two sets at the second position. Bahia and Martini ran to a 21-15 first set victory and finished off the sweep with a 21-16 second set win.
At the exhibition, Kenzie Boyd (Hattiesburg, Miss.) and Thomas took the first set before dropping the second to Mercer's pairing. The exhibition game was left unfinished due to time constraints.
Box Score
*1. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def. Kristi Talocka/Grace Rathburn (MER) 21-17, 21-14
2. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) def. Jordyn Thomas-Warren/Maggie Forsyth (MER) 21-18, 21-14
3. Giovanna Gurgel Bahia/Kitjia Martini Adamsone (USM) def. Madeline Lee/Hollis Engel (MER) 21-15, 21-16
4. Iustina Corcoz/Y-Nhu Do (USM) def. Cyleigh Sayler/Finley Kenney (MER) 21-16, 24-22
5. Jaden White/Margarita Grigoreva (USM) def. Shealey Peck/Alayna Shrodes (MER) 21-12, 21-10
Ext. Riley Milner/Carly Lenhardt (MER) vs. Kenzie Boyd/Ryann Thomas (USM) 20-22, 21-18, unfinished
Order of finish: 5, 4, 1*, 2, 3
– #SMTTT –
Players Mentioned
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