Beach Volleyball Bows Out of ASUN Championship

Saturday, April 20

DeLand, Fla.

11:00 a.m.

University of North Florida

FGCU

Team photo of UNF BV Players on the sidelines during a match.

4/20/2019 5:08:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Ospreys Drop Loser's Bracket Final to FGCU, 3-2

DELAND, Fla. - UNF had taken the last three matches against FGCU, 3-2, but on the fourth go around the Eagles (17-10) got their own 3-2 triumph as the Ospreys (20-14) bowed out of the ASUN Championship in the loser's bracket final Saturday, April 20.

Seniors Chaney Howard and Brittany Pase were honored with all-championship honors. They would go 2-1 on the weekend, including a dramatic three-set, match-clinching, win against FGCU April 18. The duo finished the season 12-8 at the number one slot.

How it Happened

The match was split after pairs four and five finished up. Dana Roskic and Callie Workman outlasted Emma Hansen and Giovanna Borgiotti, 23-21, and then they followed up with a 21-17 win to take the match and finish first.
Cortney VanLiew and Alayna Ryan evened it up though, grinding out a three-set equalizer.
Brittany Pase and Chaney Howard put together a stellar match, upending Amanda Carroll and Kirstine Garder, 21-14, 21-11.
The tide turned at the second slot when the Eagles got a straight-sets win.
The match eventually came down to the number three pair after FGCU evened it at the second slot. Madilyn McCarty and Nicole DeBolt were knotted up with Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone, 1-1, although the Eagles overcame an early 4-1 deficit to steal the momentum and the deciding set.

Match Notes

Roskic and Workman were a team-best 24-9 on the season.
UNF notched 20 wins, the second-most victories in program history.
The Ospreys were 3-1 against FGCU on the season.
FGCU advances to its first ASUN Championship final since 2017. They fell to Stetson in the final.
UNF was 6-4 in matches that went to 3-2.

Wright's Words
"It's really a team victory, everyone had to come out to play. I was really proud of Brittany and Chaney and how they played today. They are going our playing their best, ending with a win. Nicole and Mads and FGCU's three, those two teams are a great matchup. They've played each other back-to-back years, and it was a war, but unfortunately we fell short on that side. We put a lot of time and focus into this team, and we would have loved to have a crack at Stetson again, but they are losing six people and I'm excited about the future. We've got some talented kids coming in with a lot of beach experience, but we are losing some tremendous seniors. That's where the offseason comes in and that's what makes this fun, you just keep going on." -- Head coach Kristen Wright

Notes
FGCU 17-10
North Florida 20-14
Order of finish: Doubles (4,5,1,2,3);
ASUN Beach Volleyball Championships

FGCU 3, UNF 2
April 20, 2019 | Cooper Beach Courts | DeLand, Fla.

1. Brittany Pase/Chaney Howard (UNF) def. Amanda Carroll/Kirstine Garder (FGCU) 21-14, 21-11
2. Katherine Puisis/Karissa Rhoades (FGCU) def. Antonia Harrison/Carolyn Cain (UNF) 21-12, 21-19
3. Snowy Burnam/Kayla Whetstone (FGCU) def. Madilyn McCarty/Nicole DeBolt (UNF) 21-15, 18-21, 15-11
4. Dana Roskic/Callie Workman (UNF) def. Emma Hansen/Giovanna Borgiotti (FGCU) 23-21, 21-17
5. Cortney VanLiew/Alayna Ryan (FGCU) def. Kirby Smith/Lauren Galinis (UNF) 19-21, 21-16, 15-13