The No. 2-ranked Florida State beach volleyball team held its first live action of 2017 with the Garnet and Gold exhibition match at the Seminole Beach Volleyball Complex on Sunday. The Seminoles put together 12 different pairs across two rounds as teammates faced off against each other.
“Going into this last year we had our Nos. 1 through 5 set, maybe there were a couple of them we did not know,” said second-year head coach Brooke Niles. “This year we definitely don’t. Some teams would lose some and then win another one so it is still really competitive and it makes my job a little tougher.”
In first round action, two of the four courts went three sets including victories by sophomore Nikki Esposito and redshirt junior Hailey Luke and junior Vanessa Freire and freshman Francesca Goncalves. On courts No. 3 and No. 4, the duos of redshirt junior Katie Horton and freshman Molly McBain and transfer Sara Putt and senior Julia Thompson picked up victories in straight sets.
Three of the four matches in the second round went straight sets with the teams of freshman Danielle Pennington and redshirt sophomore Bre Edwards, freshman Francesca Goncalves and junior Vanessa Freire and redshirt junior Katie Horton and redshirt freshman Eva Torruella all winning. The pair of sophomore Brooke Kuhlman and graduate senior Leigh Andrew defeated junior Tory Paranagua and sophomore Macy Jerger 21-18, 16-21, 15-9 in the lone three set match of the second round.
“I think overall we had a great day,” Freire said. “Our teams looked super strong and there were no standouts, but I think that is a great thing because it shows how diverse our team is and how ready we are. It shows how much we have grown up this season and the past few years. We have a stacked team from freshmen to seniors, we are just ready to go.”
The Seminoles open the 2017 regular season this coming Saturday (March 4) against LSU and Stetson in DeLand, Fla., at the Stetson Spring Break Invitational.
First Round Results
Court 1: Nikki Esposito/Hailey Luke def. Tory Paranagua/Macy Jerger 16-21, 21-14, 15-12
Court 2: Vanessa Freire/Francesca Goncalves vs. Brooke Kuhlman/Leigh Andrew 21-15, 16-21, 15-13
Court 3: Katie Horton/Molly McBain def. Sierra Sanchez/Eva Torruella 21-13, 21-11
Court 4: Sara Putt/Julia Thompson def. Danielle Pennington/Devan Hultquist 21-17, 21-19
Second Round Results
Court 1: Danielle Pennington/Bre Edwards def. Nikki Esposito/Hailey Luke 26-24, 21-19
Court 2: Francesca Goncalves/Vanessa Freire def. Sara Putt/Molly McBain 25-23, 25-17
Court 3: Brooke Kuhlman/Leigh Andrew def. Tory Paranagua/Macy Jerger 21-18, 16-21, 15-9
Court 4: Katie Horton/Eva Torruella def. Julia Thompson/Devan Hultquist 21-14, 21-14
News courtesy of Florida State Athletics.
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