University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Beach Volleyball Concludes Season at Sun Belt Championship
4/24/2026 9:07:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
FOLEY, Ala. – Fourth-seeded UNCW (14-22, 3-3 Sun Belt) upset third-seeded Southern Miss (16-21, 4-1 Sun Belt), 4-1, knocking the Golden Eagles out of the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship.
The Seahawks swept three of their four point-scoring flights en route to the semifinals of the 2026 championship tourney. Southern Miss opened its day with a 5-0 defeat of (5) College of Charleston to stay alive and make the tournament quarterfinals.
(3) Southern Miss 5, (5) College of Charleston 0
Southern Miss opened the day against fifth-seed College of Charleston and quickly opened up the advantage in the dual. Zuzanna Michalska and Abby Lewis won both their sets in 21-15 fashion. Y-Nhu Do and Iustina Corcoz made it 2-0 in favor of Southern Miss with a two-set (23-21, 21-15) win at the fourth flight.
Top flight and Sun Belt First Team pairing Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda clinched the dual for the Golden Eagles with a two-set (21-18, 21-16) win at the 1s. Jaden White and Margarita Grigoreva won 21-12 and 21-18 in straight sets to make the dual 4-0 before Kitija Martini Adamsone and Giovanna Gurgel Bahia came back to take the third flight 15-12 in the third set after falling 23-21 in set one and winning set two 21-12.
The win advanced Southern Miss to take on the winner of the dual between (4) UNCW and (7) Mercer. UNCW rolled to a 5-0 defeat of the Bears and matched up with the Golden Eagles in the final dual of the day.
Box Score
*1. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def. Paige Clark/Harleigh King (CofC) 21-18, 21-16
2. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) def. Elizabeth Curry/Holly Hopkins (CofC) 21-15, 21-15
3. Kitija Martini Adamsone/Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (USM) def. Ella Duffner/Alivia Newberg (CofC) 21-23, 21-12, 15-12
4. Y-Nhu Do/Iustina Corcoz (USM) / Sophie Sageer/Madison Loving (CofC) 23-21, 21-15
5. Jaden White/Margarita Grigoreva (USM)/ def. Grace Toscano/Fiona North (CofC) 21-12, 21-18
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 5, 3
(4) UNCW 4, (3) Southern Miss 1
Do and Corcoz put Southern Miss ahead early with a two-set win at the 4s, winning 21-16 and 21-12. However, the Seahawks quickly tied things with Gabby LaPata and Sarah Thompson knocking out Michalska and Lewis (21-18, 21-13) to tie the dual.
Sun Belt Pair of the Year Grace Sistrunk and Lyvia Trimp entered the day with an 18-match winning streak and gave UNCW the 2-1 lead with after beating Dennis and McAda in two sets (21-19, 21-11) to make it 19 consecutive matches won. The Seahawks clinched their berth in the semifinals at the 3s with Alise Barbour and Ailvia Hamel winning in two sets.
White and Grigoreva forced a third set at the 5s but Traci Schrock and Keenan Engebretson rebounded to take the third set 15-11 and give UNCW the 4-1 decision.
Box Score
1. Grace Sistrunk/Lyvia Trimp (UNCW) def. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) 21-19, 21-11
2. Gabby LaPata/Sarah Thompson (UNCW) def. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) 21-18, 21-13
*3. Alise Barbour/Ailvia Hamel (UNCW) def. Kitija Martini Adamsone/Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (USM) 21-19, 23-21
4. Y-Nhu Do/Iustina Corcoz (USM) def. Addie Marinack/Hannah Parkinson (UNCW) 21-16, 21-12
5. Traci Schrock/Keenan Engebretson (UNCW) def. Jaden White/Margarita Grigoreva (USM) 21-12, 18-21, 15-11
Order of finish: 4, 2, 1, 3*, 5
2026 Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship
Thursday, April 21
Match 1 – (4) UNCW def. (5) College of Charleston, 4-1
Match 2 – (2) Georgia State def. (7) Mercer, 5-0
Match 3 – (3) Southern Miss def. (6) ULM, 4-1
Match 4 – (1) Coastal Carolina def. (4) UNCW, 3-2
Match 5 – (2) Georgia State def. (3) Southern Miss, 5-0
Friday, April 22
Match 6 – (7) Mercer def. (6) ULM, 3-2
Match 7 – (3) Southern Miss def. (5) College of Charleston, 5-0
Match 8 – (4) UNCW def. (7) Mercer, 5-0
Match 9 – (2) Georgia State def. (1) Coastal Carolina, 3-2
Match 10 – (4) UNCW def. (3) Southern Miss, 4-1
Saturday, April 23
Match 11 – (1) Coastal Carolina vs. (4) UNCW – 10 a.m.
Championship – (2) Georgia State and Match 11 winner – 1 p.m.
The Seahawks swept three of their four point-scoring flights en route to the semifinals of the 2026 championship tourney. Southern Miss opened its day with a 5-0 defeat of (5) College of Charleston to stay alive and make the tournament quarterfinals.
(3) Southern Miss 5, (5) College of Charleston 0
Southern Miss opened the day against fifth-seed College of Charleston and quickly opened up the advantage in the dual. Zuzanna Michalska and Abby Lewis won both their sets in 21-15 fashion. Y-Nhu Do and Iustina Corcoz made it 2-0 in favor of Southern Miss with a two-set (23-21, 21-15) win at the fourth flight.
Top flight and Sun Belt First Team pairing Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda clinched the dual for the Golden Eagles with a two-set (21-18, 21-16) win at the 1s. Jaden White and Margarita Grigoreva won 21-12 and 21-18 in straight sets to make the dual 4-0 before Kitija Martini Adamsone and Giovanna Gurgel Bahia came back to take the third flight 15-12 in the third set after falling 23-21 in set one and winning set two 21-12.
The win advanced Southern Miss to take on the winner of the dual between (4) UNCW and (7) Mercer. UNCW rolled to a 5-0 defeat of the Bears and matched up with the Golden Eagles in the final dual of the day.
Box Score
*1. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def. Paige Clark/Harleigh King (CofC) 21-18, 21-16
2. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) def. Elizabeth Curry/Holly Hopkins (CofC) 21-15, 21-15
3. Kitija Martini Adamsone/Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (USM) def. Ella Duffner/Alivia Newberg (CofC) 21-23, 21-12, 15-12
4. Y-Nhu Do/Iustina Corcoz (USM) / Sophie Sageer/Madison Loving (CofC) 23-21, 21-15
5. Jaden White/Margarita Grigoreva (USM)/ def. Grace Toscano/Fiona North (CofC) 21-12, 21-18
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 5, 3
(4) UNCW 4, (3) Southern Miss 1
Do and Corcoz put Southern Miss ahead early with a two-set win at the 4s, winning 21-16 and 21-12. However, the Seahawks quickly tied things with Gabby LaPata and Sarah Thompson knocking out Michalska and Lewis (21-18, 21-13) to tie the dual.
Sun Belt Pair of the Year Grace Sistrunk and Lyvia Trimp entered the day with an 18-match winning streak and gave UNCW the 2-1 lead with after beating Dennis and McAda in two sets (21-19, 21-11) to make it 19 consecutive matches won. The Seahawks clinched their berth in the semifinals at the 3s with Alise Barbour and Ailvia Hamel winning in two sets.
White and Grigoreva forced a third set at the 5s but Traci Schrock and Keenan Engebretson rebounded to take the third set 15-11 and give UNCW the 4-1 decision.
Box Score
1. Grace Sistrunk/Lyvia Trimp (UNCW) def. Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) 21-19, 21-11
2. Gabby LaPata/Sarah Thompson (UNCW) def. Zuzanna Michalska/Abby Lewis (USM) 21-18, 21-13
*3. Alise Barbour/Ailvia Hamel (UNCW) def. Kitija Martini Adamsone/Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (USM) 21-19, 23-21
4. Y-Nhu Do/Iustina Corcoz (USM) def. Addie Marinack/Hannah Parkinson (UNCW) 21-16, 21-12
5. Traci Schrock/Keenan Engebretson (UNCW) def. Jaden White/Margarita Grigoreva (USM) 21-12, 18-21, 15-11
Order of finish: 4, 2, 1, 3*, 5
2026 Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Championship
Thursday, April 21
Match 1 – (4) UNCW def. (5) College of Charleston, 4-1
Match 2 – (2) Georgia State def. (7) Mercer, 5-0
Match 3 – (3) Southern Miss def. (6) ULM, 4-1
Match 4 – (1) Coastal Carolina def. (4) UNCW, 3-2
Match 5 – (2) Georgia State def. (3) Southern Miss, 5-0
Friday, April 22
Match 6 – (7) Mercer def. (6) ULM, 3-2
Match 7 – (3) Southern Miss def. (5) College of Charleston, 5-0
Match 8 – (4) UNCW def. (7) Mercer, 5-0
Match 9 – (2) Georgia State def. (1) Coastal Carolina, 3-2
Match 10 – (4) UNCW def. (3) Southern Miss, 4-1
Saturday, April 23
Match 11 – (1) Coastal Carolina vs. (4) UNCW – 10 a.m.
Championship – (2) Georgia State and Match 11 winner – 1 p.m.
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