Spartans Split Weekend to Open Season
TAMPA, Fla. - Spartans finish the weekend on a high, taking down No. 11 FAU.
Following Friday's 1-1 duel split, the Spartans looked to continue to compete with some of the nation's top schools, and compete they did. In the morning bout, they faced off against No. 12 Georgia State. The Panthers edged out a win, but not before the Spartans, who fielded the same pairings as Friday, proved they could contend with a top-15 team. Teona Treskounov and Angel Williams, who played in the 3's, got their first win as a pairing, taking down the Panthers by five in a third set. Similarly, Madison Brunick and Keely Hamilton took down their GSU opponents in a third-set nail-biter. GSU however, fended off the Spartan upset by claiming the 1's, 2's, and 4's in straight sets.
Headed into the evening matchup with No. 11 FAU, the Spartans looked to hand the Owls their second loss of the day after a morning loss to Arizona State. Brunick and Hamilton battled back from an early daunting deficit in the 4's to take the first set 22-20, and would claim the Spartan's first point in the duel with a convincing 21-16 win in the second set. Despite a double-digit loss in the first, Cassidy Ehrie and Anna Bayes responded to claim the second set, but ultimately fell in the third, leveling the duel at 1-1 heading into the top three matches. Sophomore twins Hailey Wolfe and Nevaeh Wolfe swept the Panthers' 2's in convincing fashion, putting the Spartans up 2-1 in the duel and setting the stage for the 1's and 3's to clinch Tampa's second upset of the weekend. Treskounov and Williams lost the first set handily, but battled throughout the second and eventually edged out the Owls at 24-22, leading to a match, and potentially duel-deciding third set. Tampa's high-emotion and high-flying pairing came out of the gates swinging in the third, forcing an FAU timeout at 4-0. Treskounov and Williams shut out the Owls on the first side switch and never looked back, claiming their match, and the duel, at 15-8 in the third set. Meanwhile, 1's pairing Olivia Margolies and Payton Brunick had also played themselves into a third set following a 21-18 victory in the second. The Owls, however, pulled away late in the third to claim the 1's match and their second point of the duel, but it was too little too late as the Spartans had already clinched the 3's, and a 3-2 duel upset. The victory marks the first time in program history a season with two top 20 wins for the Spartans, who have the rest of the season, and many more top 20 matchups, to add to the tally.
Georgia State 3, Tampa 2
1. Angel Ferary/Bella Ferary (GSU) def. Olivia Margolies/Payton Brunick (UT) 21-14, 21-18
2. Lila Bordis/Aree Keller (GSU) def. Nevaeh Wolfe/Hailey Wolfe (UT) 21-16, 21-17
3. Teona Treskounov/Angel Williams (UT) def. Savannah Ebarb/Destiny White (GSU) 21-17, 15-21, 15-10
4. Elise Saga/Alya Johnson (GSU) def. Anna Bayes/Cassidy Ehrie (UT) 21-10, 21-19
5. Keely Hamilton/Madison Brunick (UT) def. Cassie Thayse/Kaylie Drysdale (GSU) 18-21, 21-18, 15-12
Tampa 3, Florida Atlantic 2
1. Courtney Moon/Marketa Svozilova (FAU) def. Olivia Olivia Margolies/Payton Brunick (UT) 21-16, 18-21, 15-10
2. Nevaeh Wolfe/Hailey Wolfe (UT) def. Sloane Woolwine/Ashleigh Adams (FAU) 21-15, 21-18
3. Teona Treskounov/Angel Williams (UT) def. Kate McLaughlin/Julie Honzovicova (FAU) 11-21, 24-22, 15-8
4. Keely Hamilton/Madison Brunick (UT) def. Olivia Strandberg/Mikayla Law-Heese (FAU) 22-20, 21-16
5. Alivia Orvieto/Logan Mignerey (FAU) def. Anna Bayes/Cassidy Ehrie (UT) 21-10, 18-21, 15-8
Up Next: The Spartans travel to Tallahassee next weekend on March 2nd and 3rd to take on Stetson, Louisiana Monroe, Florida State, and Georgia State.