NEW ORLEANS-The New Orleans Beach Volleyball Program (1-1) opened their season with a dominant victory over Nicholls (5-0) but leaves room for improvement in fall to Tulane (0-5) at the Green Wave Invitational Saturday.
At all courts, one through six, New Orleans swept Nicholls 2-0 with
Alexa Spartz and
Trinity Jackson keeping opponents to single digits in both sets at court two (21-8, 21-9).
With flights four through six kicking it off for the Privateers,
Sydney Gott and
Valentina Echeverri made the transfer from indoor courts to sand look effortless as they went 21-8 in their first set followed by a 21-12 victory.
At court four, Ivana De Carvalho Peixe and
Serena Baumgart, who ended the 2022 season at court six, capitalized off of service aces and went 21-18 and 21-14.
Rita Zecchin and
Renata Dykstra both made their debuts in the sand with 21-10 and 21-18 victories.
Ania Esarte and Maria Ozeata took command early at court one keeping the Colonels at nine points in the first set 21-9 and rallying to a 21-18 win in the second set. At court three,
Valerie Vujnovich and
Ashley Salazar found their footing as one of the many new pairs for the Privateers and defeated the Colonels 21-12 and 21-13.
In the second match, New Orleans was not able to get within striking distance of the Green Wave at courts four through six. At court one, Esarte and Ozeata made a late push in the second set to overcome an early deficit against Molly Ebertin and Kendall Peters but came up short 19-21.
New Orleans has North Alabama at 12:25 and #5 LSU at 2:45 p.m. CT on the docket for Sunday.
New Orleans 5, Nicholls 0
1.
Maria Ozaeta/
Ania Esarte (UNO) def. Aspen Steele/Kennedi Steele (Nicholls) 21-9, 21-18
2.
Alexa Spartz/
Trinity Jackson (UNO) def. Katie Jones/Luciana Chuong (Nicholls) 21-8, 21-9
3.
Ashley Salazar/
Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) def. Alisha Wischkaemper/Bethanie Durant (Nicholls) 21-13, 21-12
4.
Serena Baumgart/
Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) def. McKenna Malone/McKay Wilson (Nicholls) 21-18, 21-14
5.
Valentina Echeverri/
Sydney Gott (UNO) def. Ja'Mya Holmes/Hailey Mason (Nicholls) 21-8, 21-12
(Exh.)
Renata Dykstra/
Rita Zecchin (UNO) def. Taylor Heeb/Kendall Battistella (Nicholls) 21-10, 21-18
New Orleans 0, Tulane 5
1. Mollie Ebertin/Kendall Peters (TU) def.
Maria Ozaeta/
Ania Esarte (UNO) 21-14, 21-19
2. Sara Hall/Maddie Speicher (TU) def.
Alexa Spartz/
Trinity Jackson (UNO) 21-17, 21-16
3. Samantha Mehlman/Emily Heintzelman (TU) def.
Ashley Salazar/
Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) 21-12, 21-15
4. Ashton Mares/Abby Jackson (TU) def.
Serena Baumgart/
Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) 21-12, 21-15
5. Savka Popovic/Lara Torruella (TU) def.
Valentina Echeverri/
Sydney Gott (UNO) 21-11, 21-9
(Exh.) Molly Trodd/Sam O'Connor (TU) def.
Rita Zecchin/
Savannah Moberly (UNO) 21-9, 21-14
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