Beach Volleyball Caps Twinbill with 4-1 Win Over Jacksonville State

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The continued growth of the University of New Orleans beach volleyball program shone through during day one of the Blazer Beach Duals as the Privateers bounced back from a 4-1 loss to host UAB with a 4-1 win over Jacksonville State on Friday at Blazer Beach Courts.

The No. 3 tandem of senior Lauren Levy and sophomore Cara Sander emerged victorious in both contests, posting a three-set win over UAB's Zahria Richard and Amber Treace in the opener before clinching the team victory with a 21-14, 21-16 decision over Jacksonville State's Ashley Clingan and Mackenzie Rombach. With the split, UNO improves to 3-10 on the year with all of its wins coming in the last six matches.

The Privateers got a boost from the bottom of the lineup against JSU as the freshman duo of Blessing Dunn and Madison Miller rolled to a 21-6, 21-11 victory over Hope Gaskins and Jordan Moorer in No. 5 play while senior Milica Zmiric and junior Courtney Roblez bounced back from a 21-13 opening-set loss to Mandee Eberle and Anna Katherine O'Leary before taking the next two frames 21-10, 15-12.

Following Levy and Sanders match-deciding win, junior Brooklyn Frank and freshman Samantha Uline gave UNO a 4-0 lead with a 16-21, 24-22, 15-12 victory on Court 2. The lone blemish in the match came at the top of the order were senior Celeste Ramirez and freshman Kaitlin Grice bounced back from a 21-11 opening-set loss to Hannah Kirk and Charis Ludtke with a 21-19 win to extend the contest, only to fall in set three 15-11.

While the overall outcome did not turn out the Privateers hoped in the matchup against UAB, UNO did see overall improvement as that contest progressed as four of the five pairs equaled or improve their score from the first to second frames. Levy and Sander best exemplified that with a 21-10 set-two win after dropping the opener, 21-13, and then taking the deciding set 15-6.

That was the lone three-setter of the match, but Dunn and Miller went from 15 to 16 points in their loss to Emily Martinez and Gabbi Moreno in No. 5 action while Frank and Uline went from 10 to 13 points in their defeat at the hands of Avery Hoven and Michaela Reeser on Court 2. Grice and Ramirez, meanwhile, posted back-to-back 17-point efforts in their loss to Chelsi Carter and Sara Rischell in No. 1 play.

The Privateers will close out play in the Blazer Beach Duals on Saturday with an 8:30 a.m. showdown with ULM and an 11:30 a.m. contest against Spring Hill. From there, UNO next play in Houston where the team will face Houston Baptist and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on April 15.
 
UAB BLAZERS (8-8) DEFEAT NEW ORLEANS PRIVATEERS (2-10): 4-1
No. 1: Chelsi Carter / Sara Rischell (UAB) def. Kaitlin Grice / Celeste Ramirez (UNO) – 21-17, 21-17
No. 2: Avery Hoven / Michaela Reeser (UAB) def. Brooklyn Frank / Samantha Uline (UNO) – 21-10, 21-13
No. 3: Lauren Levy / Cara Sander (UNO) def. Zahria Richard / Amber Treace (UAB) – 13-21, 21-10, 15-6
No. 4: Tressa Buckland / Avei Logoleo (UAB) def. Milica Zmiric / Courtney Roblez (UNO) – 22-20, 21-12
No. 5: Emily Martinez / Gabbi Moreno (UAB) def. Blessing Dunn / Madison Miller (UNO) – 21-15, 21-16
 
NEW ORLEANS PRIVATEERS (3-10) DEFEAT JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS (0-9): 4-1
No. 1: Hannah Kirk / Charis Ludtke (JSU) def. Kaitlyn Grice / Celeste Ramirez (UNO) – 21-11, 19-21, 15-11
No. 2: Brooklyn Frank / Samantha Uline (UNO) def. Allyson Zuhlke / Kira Hahn-Ventrell (JSU) – 16-21, 24-22, 15-12
No. 3: Lauren Levy / Cara Sander (UNO) def. Ashley Clingan / Mackenzie Rombach (JSU) – 21-14, 21-16
No. 4: Courtney Roblez / Milica Zmiric (UNO) def. Mandee Eberle / Anna Katherine O'Leary (JSU) – 13-21, 21-10, 15-12
No. 5: Blessing Dunn / Madison Miller (UNO) def. Hope Gaskin / Jordan Moorer (JSU) – 21-6, 21-11