NEW ORLEANS - The Privateers Beach Volleyball program (2-2) split matches on the final day of the Green Wave invite winning 3-2 against North Alabama and falling 0-5 to #5 LSU Sunday evening.
New Orleans pulled out a gritty win against the Lions as they went the distance at courts one (
Ania Esarte/Maria Ozeata) and four (
Serena Baumgart/
Valerie Vujnovich) and only dropped two close matches at courts three (
Ivana de Carvalho Peixe/
Ashley Salazar) and five (
Valentina Echeverri/
Rita Zecchin).
At court two,
Trinity Jackson and
Alexa Spartz completed another 2-0 sweep (22-20, 21-12) making them the only pair on the team to do so twice in one weekend.
Vujnovich and Baumgart dropped their first set 14-21 but stormed back to finish the Lions off with two straight wins (21-19,15-12) at court four.
Esarte and Ozeata followed a similar game plan, as they also dropped their first set 14-21 and finished the job with two wins at 21-19 and 15-7 from court one.
Against LSU, the lineups remained the same with the exception of
Sydney Gott being at court five with
Valentina Echeverri. Flights one through six lost in straight sets. Although the Privateers saw bright spots, but early deficits disrupted their ability to get into a rhythm.
On court three, Peixe and Salazar rallied in the second set and saw a three-point lead at 19-16. The Tigers answered by holding them at 19, forcing the Privateers to drop both matches 15-21, 19-21.
Spartz and Jackson were very competitive at court two in the first set as they only fell short by three points. In the second, they saw several ties between points 10-14, but the Tigers began to pull away, and New Orleans lost 18-21, 12-21.
UP NEXT: The Privateers will hit the sand for the Clash on the Bayou invitational hosted by Nicholls March 3-4.
New Orleans 3, North Alabama 2
1.
Ania Esarte/
Maria Ozaeta (UNO) def. Paula Klemperer/Taylor Seney (UNA) 21-14, 18-21, 15-7
2.
Trinity Jackson/
Alexa Spartz (UNO) def. Katy Floyd/Mackenzie Martin (UNA) 22-20, 21-12
3. Selma Robinson/Martha McLaurin (UNA) def.
Ashley Salazar/
Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) 18-21, 21-16, 15-6
4.
Serena Baumgart/
Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) def. Natalie Kordt/Jelena Girod (UNA) 13-21, 21-19, 15-12
5. Katie Gerig/Sarah Lewis (UNA) def.
Valentina Echeverri/
Rita Zecchin (UNA) 25-23, 22-20
(Exh.) Abby Robertson/Caroline Conkle (UNA) def.
Savannah Moberly/
Renata Dykstra (UNO) 21-19, 21-11
#5 LSU 5, New Orleans 0
1. Ellie Shank/Kylie Deberg (LSU) def. Ania Esarte/Maria Ozaeta (UNO) 21-15, 21-14
2. Parker Bracken/Grace Seits (LSU) def. Alexa Spartz/Trinity Jackson (UNO) 21-18, 21-12
3. Rielly Allred, Hannah Brister (LSU) def. Ashley Salazar/Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) 21-15, 21-19
4. Lara Boos/Ella Larkin (LSU) def. Serena Baumgart/Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) 21-12, 21-16
5. Cassidy Chambers/Amber Haynes (LSU) def. Sydney Gott/Valentina Echeverri (UNO) 21-12, 21-13
(Exh.) Brooke Blutreich/Melia Lindner (LSU) def. Savannah Moberly/Rita Zecchin (UNO) 21-16, 21-6
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