Privateers Beach Caps Weekend with Senior Day; Finishes 4th in Southland Mid-Season Tournament

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans beach volleyball team finished the Southland Conference Mid-Season Tournament in fourth place behind #20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Boise State, and Houston Christian on Sunday at the Privateer Beach Facility. The fourth-place finish earns the Privateers a #4 seed in the SLC Beach Volleyball Championship on April 19-21 at Third Coast in Houston, Texas.

Before Sunday's match against McNeese, five New Orleans seniors were recognized for their contributions to Privateers Athletics.

New Orleans secured a win over Nicholls State (4-1) before dropping a match to Corpus Christi (0-5) on Friday. The Privateers returned on Sunday, which was also senior day, and went undefeated with wins over San Jose State (3-2) and McNeese (5-0).

Senior Valerie Vujnovich and freshman Nikelle Lander at court two, along with senior Serena Baumgart and freshman Anne Marie Hardouin at court four, both bolstered winning records over the weekend at 3-2.

New Orleans opened Saturday morning against Nicholls and nearly swept the Colonels after jumping to an early 4-0 lead in straight sets on every court except four. The Privateers closed out the day against the undefeated Islanders, who won all five matches. Senior Hannah Volpi and junior Ivana de Carvalho Peixe battled in a three-set thriller at court three, along with senior Rita Zecchin and freshman Stefanie Gonzalez at court five, but fell short.

The Privateers opened Sunday with an outright dogfight. The Spartans scored the first point in straight sets at court one before Volpi and Carvalho De Peixe countered with a win at court one to tie the dual. The back-and-forth continued as Teila Allen and Cheyenne Rice gave SJSU the edge once again with a win at court two. Baumgart and Hardouin responded with a victory in straight sets at court four to knot the match at 2-2. It all came down to the freshman duo in Gonzalez and Ola Filip at court five who battled in three sets to clinch the match and solidify the 3-2 victory over SJSU.

New Orleans took the momentum into a more dominant match against McNeese for a 5-0 clean sweep.

UP NEXT: It's wheels up for the Privateers as they head to Jacksonville, FL, on March 29-30 to face four foes: Mercer, North Florida, UAB, and College of Charleston. New Orleans hits the sand against Mercer at 11 a.m.

Saturday's Matches
New Orleans 4, Nicholls 1
1. Maria Ozaeta/Bria Garmon (UNO) def. Kennedi Steele/ Aspen Steale (NICH) 21-11, 21-14
2. Valerie Vujnovich/ Nikelle Lander (UNO) def. Shelby McGee/ Keira Heckel (NICH) 21-16, 21-18
3. Hannah Volpi/ Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) def. Bethanie Durant/ Brooklyn Wilkinson (NICH) 21-13, 21-18
4. McKay Wilson/ McKenna Malone (NICH) def. Serena Baumgart/ Anne Marie Hardouin (UNO) 21-17, 21-15, 15-10
5. Ashley Salazar/ Ola Filip (UNO) def. Carleigh Breaux/ Trerney Tewell (NICH) 21-12, 21-16

TAMUCC 5, New Orleans 0
1. Bobay, Kristin/Morrow, Madison (AMCC) def. Maria Ozaeta/Bria Garmon  (UNO) 21-13, 21-17
2. Tome, Chloe/Dodd, Cassie (AMCC) def. Valerie Vujnovich/ Nikelle Lander  (UNO) 21-13, 21-9
3. Doyle, Hannah/Young, Stephanie (AMCC) def. Hannah Volpi/ Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) 16-21, 21-15, 16-14
4. Johnson, Tori/Jordan, Raven (AMCC) def. Serena Baumgart/ Anne Marie Hardouin (UNO) 21-13, 21-16
5. Cortez, Elizabeth/Moreno, Kela (AMCC) def. Zecchin, Rita /Gonzalez, Stephanie (UNO) 21-6, 20-22, 15-12

Sunday's Matches 
New Orleans 3, SJSU 2
1. Jaida Ward/Jada Hall (SJSU) def. Bria Garmon/Maria Ozaeta (UNO) 21-8, 21-12
2. Teila Allen/Cheyenne Rice (SJSU) def. Nikelle Lander/Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) 21-17, 21-13
3. Ivana de Carvalho Peixe/Hannah Volpi (UNO) def. Siena Brewster/Meredith Scott (SJSU) 21-14, 21-18
4. Serena Baumgart/Anne Marie Hardouin (UNO) def. Alexandra Dale/Tessa Rogers (SJSU) 21-18, 21-16
5. Ola Filip/Stephanie Gonzalez (UNO) def. Shirley Morrison/Anna Salmon (SJSU) 21-17, 23-25, 15-13

New Orleans 4, McNeese 1
1. Maria Ozaeta/Bria Garmon (UNO) def. Calissa Chainey/ Gracey Jones 21-12, 20-22, 15-7
2. Valerie Vujnovich/ Nikelle Lander (UNO) def. Kendall Osgood/ Rylee Lansing 21-18, 21-17
3. Hannah Volpi/ Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) def. Harlee Tapper/ Jolie Savoie 21-12, 21-17
4. Serena Baumgart/ Anne Marie Hardouin (UNO) def. Ella Swansigen/ Bella Ceja 21-12, 21-11
5. Rita Zecchin/ Savannah Moberly (UNO) def. Kaylene Gohmann/ Emily Koetsier 21-6, 21-6
 

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