Sandy Chants make history, win 2 matches over nationally-ranked foes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Coastal Carolina beach volleyball team made program history on Sunday at the Seminole Beach Bash, as the Sandy Chants defeated not one but two nationally-ranked programs in No. 13 Cal Poly and No. 20 Washington by identical scores of 3-2. The two wins were the first-ever over a nationally-ranked program in school history.

With the wins, the Chants moved to 2-33 overall versus nationally-ranked opponents in the program’s eight-year history.

On the weekend, the Chanticleers finished 2-2 overall versus four nationally-ranked teams at the Seminole Beach Bash in No. 2 Florida State, No. 16 FIU, No. 13 Cal Poly, and No. 20 Washington.

Match 1: Coastal Carolina 3, No. 13 Cal Poly 2

In the Chants’ first match of the day, it all came down to the final bout. With the score tied at 2-2, the team of Emma Gonzalez and Celia Ryan picked up a 15-11 third-set win on court No. 5 to give their team a 3-2 match win over No. 13 Cal Poly.

CCU opened the match with a 21-18, 21-18 win on court No. 4 from the duo of Raychel Ehlers and Madison Allred only to see the Mustangs even the match up at 1-1 with a 21-19, 21-16 victory over the Chants on court No. 2.

Cal Poly took a 2-1 match lead with a 21-19, 21-16 win on court No. 1 to set up the comeback bid for the Chants.

It started on court No. 3, as the team of Madie Lichty and Sarlota Svobodova held on for a 21-18, 21-18 win to tie the match up at 2-2 before the Chants clinched the win with the victory on court No. 5.

Match 2: Coastal Carolina 3, No. 2 Washington 2

After winning their first-ever match over a nationally-ranked team in the first match of the day, the Sandy Chants doubled down in the second contest, posting a 3-2 win over No. 20 Washington to end the season-opening tournament.

This time the Chants took the early match lead, as the team of Ellie Hanford and Irena Drobnjak scored a 21-14, 21-15 win on court No. 2.

After the Huskies tied the match up at 1-1 with a win on court No. 1, the Sandy Chants answered with back-to-back wins on courts No. 3 and 4 to steal the win over Washington.

CCU’s duo of Lichty and Svobodova put the Chants back on top at 2-1 with a 21-19, 22-20 win on court No. 3, while the team of Ehlers and Allerd followed with a 21-19, 25-23 victory on court No. 4 to seal the win.

The Huskies would hold on for a three-set 21-12, 21-23, 15-9 win on court No. 5 to put the final score at 3-2.

Coastal (2-2) will return to the sand next weekend to compete at the DUUUVAL Duals hosted by the University of North Florida on March 3-4 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Results

Match 1: Coastal Carolina 3, No. 13 Cal Poly 2

1. Jayelin Lombard/Piper Ferch (Cal Poly) def. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) – 21-18, 21-15

2. Piper Naess/Izzy Martinez (Cal Poly) def. Irena Drobnjak/Ellie Hanford (CCU) – 21-19, 21-16

3. Madie Lichty/Sarlota Svobodova (CCU) def. Addie Bounds/Delaney Peranich (Cal Poly) – 21-18, 21-18

4. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) def. Emma Zuffelato/Kalee Graff (Cal Poly) – 21-18, 21-18

5. Emma Gonzalez/Celia Ryan (CCU) def. Margo Smith/Erika Foreman (Cal Poly) – 21-16, 18-21, 15-11

Order of Finish: 4, 2, 1, 3, 5

Match 2: Coastal Carolina 3, No. 20 Washington 2

1. Chloe Loreen/Natalie Robinson (Wash) def. Martine Kragholm/Sarah Riedell (CCU) – 21-16, 21-15

2. Irena Drobnjak/Ellie Hanford (CCU) def. Piper Monk-Heidrich/Kendall Mather (Wash) – 21-14, 21-15

3. Madie Lichty/Sarlota Svobodova (CCU) def. Paloma Bowman/Mary Sinclair (Wash) – 21-19, 22-20

4. Madison Allred/Raychel Ehlers (CCU) def. Hannah Yerex/Scarlett Dahl (Wash) – 21-19, 25-23

5. Shannon Gormally/Teagan Defalco (Wash) def. Emma Gonzalez/Celia Ryan (CCU) – 21-12, 21-23, 15-9

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 5

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