Beach Volleyball Drops Pair In Day 2 Of Fort Lauderdale Invite

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – Upon first glance, the University of New Orleans beach volleyball team got off to a rough start to the 2016 season as the Privateers closed out the FIU Fort Lauderdale Beach Invitational with a pair of losses on Saturday in the Sunshine State.

While the scores – 4-1 against Jacksonville and 5-0 to LSU – bear that out, a closer look shows significant progress in the early portion of UNO's second season on the dunes. Not only did the Privateers post a pairs victory in the loss to the Dolphins, but the team's overall scores were also much closer than they were a year ago. Despite the progress, however, the squad fell to 0-3 on the young season to date and will look to pick up the program's first team victory next weekend when the Privateers head to Baton Rouge for the Tiger Beach Classic.

The highlight of the day came in No. 4 play against Jacksonville where Brooklyn Frank and Samantha Uline sandwiched wins of 23-21 and 15-6 around a 21-13, set-two loss to defeat the Dolphins' Ashlyne Miller and Olga Nushtayeva. UNO also had a second pairs competition go into a third set and potential win as Blessing Dunn and Lauren Levy rallied from a 21-9 opening-set loss to Kelly Koop and Katie Krawczyk on Court 3 to give the duo all they could handle in a narrow 22-20 set-two defeat.

Jacksonville won at each of the top three positions in the lineup as Emily Laskelle and Mayara Prestes downed the Privateers' Shaylene Reimer and Cara Sander in No. 1 pairs 21-14, 21-17 while the duo of Cristina Finan and Mackenzie Swan defeated UNO's Celeste Ramirez and Milica Zmiric 21-8, 21-16 on Court 2. Jessica Armstrong and Shelby Babowicz scored the Dolphins' final point with a  21-2, 21-4 decision over Madison Miller and Courtney Roblez.

Things were not as close in the second match of the day, however, as each of LSU's wins came in straight sets and only one of the 10 sets were decided by less than eight points. In No. 1, Reimer and Sander fell to Ashley Allmer and Katie Lindelow 21-12, 21-9 while the No. 2 tandem of Ramirez and Zmiric dropped a 21-11, 21-13 contest to Helen Boyle and Lilly Kessler. It was more of the same at the bottom of the lineup where Dunn and Levy fell 21-9, 21-12 to Catie Leak and Callan Molle, Frank and Uline dropped 21-9, 21-2 decisions to Mandi Orellane and Cheyenne Wood, and Miller and Roblez were downed 21-6, 21-13 by Victoria Boraski and Megan Davenport in No, 3, No. 4 and No. 5 action, respectively.

The Privateers open play in the Tiger Beach Challenge next Saturday with an 11 a.m. showdown with FIU before playing ULM at 3 p.m. and Georgia State at 6 p.m. From there, UNO will close out the tournament with a single match against Stetson at noon on Sunday, March 13.
 
JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS (1-1) DEFEAT NEW ORLEANS PRIVATEERS (0-2): 4-1
 
No. 1: Emily Laskelle / Mayara Prestes (JU) def. Shaylene Reimer / Cara Sander (UNO) – 21-14, 21-17
No. 2: Cristina Finan / Mackenzie Swan (JU) def. Celeste Ramirez / Milica Zmiric (UNO) – 21-8, 21-16
No. 3: Kelly Koop / Katie Krawczyk (JU) def. Blessing Dunn / Lauren Levy (UNO) – 21-9, 22-20
No. 4: Brooklyn Frank / Samantha Uline (UNO) def. Ashlyne Miller / Olga Nushtayeva (JU) – 23-21, 13-21, 15-6
No. 5: Jessica Armstrong / Shelby Babowicz (JU) def. Madison Miller / Courtney Roblez (UNO) – 21-2, 21-4
 
LSU TIGERS (3-0) DEFEAT NEW ORLEANS PRIVATEERS (0-3): 4-1
 
No. 1: Ashley Allmer /Katie Lindelow (LSU) def. Shaylene Reimer / Cara Sander  (UNO) – 21-12, 21-9
No. 2: Helen Boyle / Lilly Kessler (LSU) def. Celeste Ramirez / Milica Zmiric (UNO) – 21-11, 21-13
No. 3: Cati Leak / Callan Molle (LSU) def. Blessing Dunn / Lauren Levy (UNO) – 21-9, 21-12
No. 4: Mandi Orellane / Cheyenne Wood (LSU def. Brooklyn Frank / Samantha Uline (UNO) – 21-10, 21-16
No. 5: Victoria Boraski / Megan Davenport (LSU) def. Madison Miller / Courtney Roblez (UNO) – 21-6, 21-13