Spartans Split in West Palm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The University of Tampa beach volleyball team began its road campaign with a split weekend at the PBA Beach Volleyball Complex, securing a 3-2 victory over the South Florida Bulls in their first-ever meeting before narrowly falling 3-2 to the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish. With these results, the Spartans now hold a 3-5 overall record on the season.

The 1's pair of Elizabeth Price and Angel Williams remained dominant, delivering straight-set wins in both matches. They cruised past USF's top duo, 21-8, 21-15, before defeating PBA, 21-17, 21-18, continuing their strong early-season form at the top of the lineup. In the 2's slot, back-to-back Sunshine State Conference Duo of the Week, Nevaeh Wolfe and Hailey Wolfe, suffered a rare loss against the Bulls, 21-19, 21-19, but quickly bounced back with a 21-14, 21-16 win over the Sailfish to regain momentum. The 3's pair of Olivia Whisnant and Brooke Green battled through three sets against South Florida, forcing a decider but ultimately falling 21-17, 15-21, 15-8. Against Palm Beach, the Spartans adjusted their lineup, with Anna Bayes and Lauren Duke stepping into the 3's slot, narrowly losing 21-19, 21-19 in another tight battle. In the 4's pair, Bayes and Duke played a key role in Tampa's win over what could be a new Bay-area rival in South Florida, securing a 23-21, 21-9 victory. Later in the day, Madelynn Hokanson and Hailey Peterson took over the 4's spot but fell 21-14, 21-19 to PBA, despite a strong push in the second set. The 5's pair of Sammie Ostrander and Meghan Schreck came up clutch against USF, earning a 21-18, 21-19 victory to seal the match for the Spartans. Against PBA, they fought through a three-set thriller, but after splitting the first two sets, they fell just short in the decider, 21-17, 11-21, 17-15.

Tampa 3, South Florida 2

• Elizabeth Price/Angel Williams (UT) def. Audrey Gauthier/Isabella Almeida (USF) 21-8, 21-15

• Samantha Crosby/Aleksandra Stadnik (USF) def. Nevaeh Wolfe/Hailey Wolfe (UT) 21-19, 21-19

• Morgan Anderson/Mia Scheepens (USF) def. Olivia Whisnant/Brooke Green (UT) 21-17, 15-21, 15-8

• Anna Bayes/Lauren Duke (UT) def. Cornelia Crudu/Alyx Zapatka (USF) 23-21, 21-9

• Sammie Ostrander/Meghan Schreck (UT) def. Ryann Genest/Bailey Chin (USF) 21-18, 21-19

Palm Beach Atlantic 3, Tampa 2

• Elizabeth Price/Angel Williams (UT) def. Anna Dunbar/Serena Baumgart (PBA) 21-17, 21-18

• Nevaeh Wolfe/Hailey Wolfe (UT) def. Cameron Ring/Katelyn Nadeau (PBA) 21-14, 21-16

• Abby Plevin/Annika Huhtamaki (PBA) def. Anna Bayes/Lauren Duke (UT) 21-19, 21-19

• Sydney Corbett/Savannah DeCarlo (PBA) def. Madelynn Hokanson/Hailey Peterson (UT) 21-14, 21-19

• Zoye Caroline/Angela Goggin (PBA) def. Sammie Ostrander/Meghan Schreck (UT) 21-17, 11-21, 17-15

Up Next: Tampa heads to Boca Raton for the FAU Beach Invitational, opening play against Stetson on March 14 at 11:00 a.m., followed by a matchup with Florida Gulf Coast at 3:00 p.m. The Spartans return to the sand on March 15 to face Alabama-Birmingham at 8:00 a.m. before closing out the weekend against TCU at 1:00 p.m.