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Post by thechoppingblock on Jan 20, 2015 10:42:50 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released 01/14/2015 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida State sand volleyball team held the first official practice of the 2015 season Wednesday. Head Coach Danalee Corso and 25 members of the sand volleyball team took to the FSU Sand Volleyball Complex to begin preparation for the 2015 season on Wednesday afternoon. “I think that we’re all very excited, because we had such a strong finish last season, and we were so close,” Corso said. “Even though we were close, we were happy with our results, we thought we played strong. I think the team is even better this year than we were ending off last season… we’re very excited to get started.” The Seminoles finished runner-up at the 2014 AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships last May. FSU begins the 2015 season in March, but has a Garnet and Gold exhibition on Jan. 31. “January is practically Christmas for me, because I got all these free players from the indoor team that walk on to our team,” Corso added. “Particularly this year, because we’ve got a lot of new faces that came here specifically to play sand as well as indoor. We’re so excited to fold them in. We’re a better team because of them coming over.” Corso said she will be emphasizing adaptability in the coming weeks as the team continues to take shape. “That’s what we need on this team, because everyone is so strong,” she said. We need to be flexible and good at everything.” The team returns four seniors: Jace Pardon, Sarah Wickstrom, Melanie Pavels and Stephanie Pellitteri. They are the first four-year scholarship sand players in program history. “It’s different than the past few years, because I’m the oldest one on the team, having young girls looking at me for what to do,” two-time All-American Jace Pardon said. Florida State returns 13 players for the 2015 season. The Seminoles will look to use that experience to their advantage and try to build on what was nearly a banner year for the young program.
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Post by thechoppingblock on Jan 22, 2015 9:55:06 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released 01/21/2015 SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Florida State sand volleyball grabbed the No. 2 ranking in DiG Magazine’s 2015 Women’s Collegiate Sand Volleyball preseason poll, released this week. FSU is behind only defending national champion Pepperdine. The Waves edged the Seminoles in the National Championship finals last season. Rounding out the Top 10 teams are USC (3), Hawai’i (4), Loyola Marymount (5), Long Beach State (6), Saint Mary’s (7), UCLA (8), FIU (9) and Pacific (10). Florida State returns 13 players from the 2014 season when the Seminoles finished 19-3, including seniors Jace Pardon, Sarah Wickstrom, Melanie Pavels and Stephanie Pellitteri. Pardon is a two-time All-American, while Wickstrom captured the honor in 2013. Pellitteri and Pavels will be starters for a fourth consecutive year. Juniors Nina Pellitteri and Julie Brown and sophomores Sierra Sanchez and Hailey Luke also have experience competing at the AVCA National Championships along with fifth-year senior transfer Taylor Nyquist, who starred at Jacksonville University before coming to FSU this fall.
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Post by innervoice on Jan 25, 2015 23:06:43 GMT -5
Nice articles and video...a little peak at FSU sand facility.
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Post by fetchin on Jan 26, 2015 15:36:17 GMT -5
Great facility, looks cold though.
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Post by thechoppingblock on Jan 30, 2015 12:14:03 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released: 01/29/2015 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 2-ranked Florida State sand volleyball team kicks off the 2015 season this Saturday at 12 p.m. ET when it holds the annual Garnet and Gold match at the Sand Volleyball Complex. Florida State, who finished runner-up at the 2014 AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships, returns 13 players from last season’s team that finished with an overall record of 19-3. “I’m thrilled to get them going,” fourth-year head coach Danalee Corso said. “Our team looks really, really strong. We still are mixing it up every single day with partnerships. “I’m really looking for people to kind of step up in the chemistry department as far as partnerships. Most of the team will have just been thrown together the day before. I want to see how they compete with the whistle and in the (competitive) environment, and to get their nerves out because it’s the beginning of the season.” Over 10 matches are scheduled to be played at the event which will feature several of the Seminoles’ standouts, including senior All-Americans Jace Pardon and Sarah Wickstrom as well as their classmates Stephanie Pellitteri and Melanie Pavels, and fifth-year senior transfer Taylor Nyquist. Nyquist starred on Jacksonville University’s sand volleyball team for three years and competed at back-to-back AVCA National Championships before transferring to FSU this fall. Saturday’s match will be her first competition at the FSU Sand Volleyball Complex as a Seminoles, and it’s something she has been looking forward to since arriving on campus months ago. “I’m really excited,” Nyquist said. “Being able to be part of this team has been such a great experience already, and to kick off our first spring event, it’s really exciting. We’ve been training for a couple months now, so to finally see it all come together is exciting. Working towards a national championship is our main goal.” The Seminoles were just two points away from capturing the national title last spring and that finish has motivated the team, especially the seniors, to get back to the finals again in what will be the final year of the current AVCA format before the NCAA takes over in 2016. “This weekend we’ve been looking forward to for a while now,” Pavels said. “It is our first true competition to kick start our season. Even though it’s against ourselves, it’s the starting point for where our season is going to go. So we’re all really ready to show what we’ve been working on for so long.”
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Post by vballfreak808 on Feb 1, 2015 19:27:44 GMT -5
www.seminoles.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=32900&ATCLID=209870927 Garnet and Gold Match a SuccessCourtesy: Seminoles.com Release: 01/31/2015 Photo Gallery by Maury NeiprisTALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 2-ranked Florida State sand volleyball team held its annual Garnet and Gold Match on Saturday at the FSU Sand Volleyball Complex. The exhibition kicked off the 2015 season which officially begins on March 7 with dual matches against Stetson and FIU in DeLand, Fla. “I am thrilled to see the depth of our team,” head coach Danalee Corso said. “It was a great dress rehearsal because you get the nerves out and you get to see how people compete because it is always different than how they practice. I was very excited to see how they did. We have a couple of things we need to tweak but considering where we are in the season, I am absolutely thrilled.” Seniors Jace Pardon and Sarah Wickstrom went a perfect 2-0 in both of their matches. The No. 1 duo faced redshirt senior transfer Taylor Nyquist and senior Stephanie Pellitteri in a battle between the Seminoles’ top two pairs. In the first set, the score was tied at 10 before Pardon and Wickstrom went on an 11-5 run to claim the set. Leading 18-17 in the second set, Pardon and Wickstrom rattled off three straight points to take the set and the match 21-15, 21-17 after Pardon’s ace on her final serve. “This helps us so much,” Pardon said. “We know each other really well, so we go out there and play each other extremely hard. It’s great to play and be competitive.” In the bottom half of the bracket, senior Melanie Pavels and junior Annie Montgomery were able to dig deep and pull out two victories. Pavels and Montgomery fought back in an epic three-set match against junior Kayla Joyce and sophomore Katie Horton to win 21-19, 16-21, 22-20. The only other pair to go undefeated on the day was freshmen Breana Edwards and Cecilie Woie. After a three-set win against junior Karlie Hauer and freshman Meghan Conway 25-23, 19-21, 16-14, the freshmen duo began to get more comfortable as they rolled past redshirt junior Mercedes Vaughn and freshman Milica Kubura 21-8, 21-11. Junior Nina Pellitteri and freshman Tory Paranagua made a strong impression after hanging with Pardon and Wickstrom in their first match, and taking down junior Julie Brown and sophomore Sierra Sanchez 21-9, 21-15 in their second match. “I thought Tory Paranagua was phenomenal,” Corso said. “She could be the best freshman I have ever seen. She is so poised and so smooth.” Currently the sand volleyball squad has seven players from the indoor volleyball team (Hauer, Kubura, Luke, Vaughn, Wickstrom, Woie, Katie Horton) and four freshmen (Conway, Edwards, Paranagua, and Vanessa Freire) that will continue to develop heading into the season opener on March 7. “I was absolutely thrilled about the indoor and young players that are playing on our team,” Corso said. “I think they have improved so much and they have found the passion for the sport. I love to see that.” Results: C1: (1) Pardon/Wickstrom def. (3) N. Pellitteri/Paranagua 21-15, 21-16 C1: (1) Pardon/Wickstrom def. (2) S. Pellitteri/Nyquist 21-15, 21-17 C2: (2) S. Pellitteri/Nyquist def. (4) Brown/Sanchez 21-19, 21-14 C2: (3) N. Pellitteri/Paranagua def. (4) Brown/Sanchez 21-9, 21-15 C3: (5) Montgomery/Pavels def. (7) Freire/Thompson 21-15, 21-18 C3: (5) Montgomery/Pavels def. (8) Horton/Joyce 19-21, 21-16, 22-20 C4: (8) Horton/Joyce def. (6) Luke/Harkness 21-13, 21-18 C4: (7) Freire/Thompson def. (6) Luke/Harkness 21-19, 14-21, 16-14 C5: (10) Edwards/Woie def. (9) Hauer/Conway 25-23, 19-21, 16-14 C5: (10) Edwards/Woie def. (11) Vaughn/Kubura 21-8, 21-11 C5: (9) Hauer/Conway def. (11) Vaughn/Kubura 24-22, 21-14
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Post by innervoice on Feb 4, 2015 23:41:06 GMT -5
Should be interesting to see Pardon and Wikstrom back together.
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Post by thechoppingblock on Feb 13, 2015 20:35:11 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State AthleticsNoles Transition to SandCourtesy: Seminoles.comReleased 02/13/2015TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - (Seminoles.com) The Florida State indoor and sand volleyball programs continue to share a close relationship as eight returning indoor players have taken their skills to the sand.“I really have a lot of respect for those players that choose to play sand volleyball,” FSU head coach Chris Poole said. “They are doing it to be better indoor players with more time training in the spring and because they enjoy playing out in the sand. It is a different game, but many of the same qualities.” Junior outside hitter Karlie Hauer, junior middle blocker Mercedes Vaughn, sophomore outside hitter Katie Horton, sophomore setter Hailey Luke, redshirt freshman outside hitter Christina Ambrose, freshman right side hitter Milica Kubura, and freshman libero Cecilie Woie have all practiced with the team and participated in the Garnet and Gold scrimmage, which took place on Jan. 31.Since spring indoor volleyball practice has resumed on Monday, Hauer, Kubura, Horton and Luke are expected to be playing both indoor and sand for the entire duration of the season. Woie will rejoin the sand squad following the conclusion of indoor and Ambrose is expected to return to the sand in 2016.Former standout setter Sarah Wickstrom headlines the sand squad and is projected to play at the No. 1 position along with Jace Pardon. As the primary setter in a 6-2 rotation for her final two seasons, Wickstrom tallied 2,916 assists, finishing sixth on the FSU all-time assists list. She is the only player in FSU history to play four years with both indoor and sand teams. The two-year indoor captain earned AVCA All-American honors in 2013 paired with Pardon with a 14-5 record.“I believe that training indoor certainly helps those indoor players be better when they play sand in the spring,” Poole said, “I also believe that the indoor players improve their court vision, ball control and fitness level by playing sand. So it is a win-win situation for both sports. I appreciate the fact that those cross over players are willing to spend more time playing sand when they could choose to have more free time.”2015 Sand Volleyball ScheduleJan. 31 Garnet and GoldMarch 7 Stetson/FIU, Deland, Fla.March 10 Irvine Valley College/Long Beach State, Huntington Beach, Calif.March 11 Pepperdine/TCU, Zuma Beach, Calif.March 13-14 Southern California/Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles, Calif.March 20-22 South Carolina/Arizona State/Tulane/UAB/Georgia State/Carson-Newman, Columbia, S.CMarch 28 Gulf Coast State College, Panama City, FL.April 7 LSU/ULM/Carson-Newman, Tallahassee, Fla.April 10 Florida Atlantic, Siesta Key, Fla.April 11-12 Fiesta on Siesta Key Tournament, Siesta Key, Fla.April 18-19 Georgia State/UAB/Eckerd College, Tallahassee, Fla.May 1-3 AVCA National Championships, Gulf Shores, Ala.
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 5, 2015 9:09:21 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics
Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released 03/05/2015
Tallahassee, FL -- Fourth-year Florida State sand volleyball head coach Danalee Corso knows she won’t have to worry about motivating the Seminoles in 2015.
Not after coming within two points of defeating Pepperdine in the National Championship Final last May.
“I think being that close and being that successful has really motivated us all year round,” Corso said. “Right after the national championship, everyone was motivated to play all summer. They couldn’t wait to get back to playing in the fall.”
“We want to come out really strong. Our goal is to be undefeated this season. We have a tough schedule and we play some tough teams in California. We’ve still got some things to work on and some partnerships to figure out, but we are feeling really confident.”
Corso has reason to be confident because the Seminoles return eight of the 10 players who competed at the 2014 National Championships, including four seniors who have had a major impact since arriving on campus as freshmen on the first FSU sand volleyball team in 2011.
Since seniors Jace Pardon, Stephanie Pellitteri, Melanie Pavels and Sarah Wickstrom began their college careers, sand volleyball as a collegiate sport has continued to grow – and Florida State has grown along with it.
The Seminoles advanced to the National Semifinals in 2012 and 2013, before finishing runner-up in 2014 – the third year of the college sport.
Pardon, Pellitteri, Pavels and Wickstrom have been starters, leaders and catalysts every year, propelling the Seminoles to an all-time dual match record of 46-3 in regular season play and the title of best program on the East Coast.
The senior quartet’s final mission is to bring the national championship to Tallahassee.
“We are all super excited,” said Pardon, a two-time All-American. “Last year’s finish left us so hungry. We’ve had a long offseason and we are ready to go out and get after that national championship.”
Last season’s close finish has pushed them for nearly a full year. The seniors will get help from several players including juniors Nina Pellitteri and Julie Brown, fifth-year transfer Taylor Nyquist, who starred at Jacksonville University, and freshman Tory Paranagua, who captured first-place at the USA Volleyball High Performance U-21 Championships over the summer.
Corso will be relying on her seniors to lead the way.
“This is my first group of players that I’ve had for four years in college,” Corso said. “I’ve really enjoyed what they’ve been able to accomplish off the court to develop this winning culture. A lot of them have been leaders since they first got here. It’ll be easier moving forward now that we have defined that culture.”
The Seminoles’ spring schedule will open on March 7 in DeLand, Fla. against Stetson and FIU before a week-long trip to the West Coast.
In California, Florida State faces Irvine Valley College and perennial power Long Beach State on March 10 in Huntington Beach.
The next day FSU will look to enact some revenge versus defending national champion Pepperdine in Huntington Beach on March 11. The Seminoles fell 3-2 to the Waves in a back-and-forth National Championship final last May.
Florida State will wrap up its California trip against Southern California and Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 13-14.
“We’re playing the top teams in the nation on our California trip,” Corso said. “We’ll face USC, Long Beach State and be hosted by Pepperdine for the first time. They are the defending national champions. We should be in great position to hold the top spot in the rankings after that trip.”
Following the West Coast trip, the Seminoles will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to face the host Gamecocks, Arizona State, Tulane and UAB from March 20-22 before meeting Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla. on March 28.
Florida State, the 2014 National Championship runner-up, will host a pair of events in April at the FSU Sand Volleyball Complex, welcoming LSU, ULM and Carson Newman on April 7 before hosting Georgia State, UAB and Eckerd College for dual and pair play on April 18 and 19.
“Our home events will be exciting and competitive,” Corso said. “We’ll host some great teams. LSU and ULM are two of the best in our region. That will be a great test and likely on a Tuesday night under the lights which will be a blast and something we haven’t done before. Our other home event is important to prepare us for the National Championships. We will set it up similar to the national tournament. It’s the last weekend for nominations for Gulf Shores so we will be looking to close strong.”
After hosting LSU, ULM and Carson Newman on April 7, FSU will make its annual trip down to Siesta Key for its yearly tournament. There, the Noles will open against Florida Atlantic on April 10 and participate in the nation’s largest tournament on April 11-12.
The Seminoles will wrap up their regular season schedule at home on April 18-19 and then likely prepare for the AVCA National Championships in Gulf Shore from May 1-3.
“This is the strongest team we’ve ever had,” Corso said. “We have eight girls that have played at either the No. 1 or 2 position on the team at some point in their career. We return two All-Americans so we will go into the season very confident. I’m excited about the season and can’t wait for it to start.”
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 6, 2015 23:27:54 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Noles are Ready for Season OpenerCourtesy: Seminoles.com Release: 03/06/2015 Tallahassee, FL - The No. 3 Florida State sand volleyball team will begin its fourth season on Saturday in DeLand, Fla. The Seminoles will compete in a double header against Stetson at 9:30 a.m. and No. 9 FIU at 11:30 a.m. “It’s been a long year of training,” head coach Danalee Corso said. “We are very excited to use our new skills in actual competition.” Florida State is a bona fide juggernaut as sand volleyball enters its final year of emerging sport status with NCAA sponsorship on the horizon. “We have worked very hard and we are ready to compete,” Corso said. “This is the best team we’ve ever had. I am confident that we will do well. Each year it gets tougher because everyone else is getting better. This season is no different.” The Seminoles are coming off a 2014 season in which they finished with a 19-3 overall record and advanced to their first AVCA National Championship finals. FSU returns eight of 10 starters that competed in last year’s National Championships, including four seniors – Jace Pardon, Melanie Pavels, Stephanie Pellitteri and Sarah Wickstrom. In Corso’s three seasons at the helm, she has led the Seminoles to a 46-3 dual match record in regular season play and the title of the best program on the East Coast. Florida State has won each of its first three season opening matches and is undefeated against schools on the East Coast. “I think in order for us to win tomorrow we just need to be steady and limit our mistakes,” Corso said. “We need to acknowledge we will be nervous, but play through that the best that we can.” The Seminoles have eight matches in a seven day span beginning on Saturday, with five of those matches coming against top-10 teams, including No. 1 Pepperdine (March 11) and No. 2 Southern California (March 13) “We are looking forward to the next seven days because it will be some of the toughest competition that we will have all year,” Corso said. “Then we can see where we stand within the nation’s best.”
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 11, 2015 0:19:17 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released: 03/07/2015 FSU Splits Season OpenerDELAND, FLA. – The No. 3 Florida State sand volleyball team opened its 2015 season on Saturday splitting its two matches. The Seminoles defeated Stetson (W, 3-2), but dropped a tight battle against FIU (L, 3-2). “It’s always great to get those first two matches in,” head coach Danalee Corso said. “We have a disadvantage because we have two players who play indoor volleyball, where the other teams are filled with indoor players and have the entire first semester to compete, which makes it very difficult. These indoor teams play together all year long. We need to get more experienced to match that.” Florida State started off the day winning on three straight courts to clinch the match against Stetson and post its first victory of the season. Redshirt sophomore Katherine Plessy was back in the sand for the first time since 2013 because of an injury that sidelined her all of last season. Plessy teamed up with freshman Vanessa Freire and got the Noles on the board first with a victory over Stetson’s Madison Atkins and Claudia Kalin, 21-17, 21-15. The pair with the most experience playing together for Florida State was impressive in both of their matches on Saturday. Senior Melanie Pavels and junior Julie Brown have played 66 matches together and were on fire out of the gates against Stetson’s Madison Tormey and Kaylee Anderson, winning the first set, 21-7. After dropping the second set, Pavels and Brown got back to their dominating ways in the third-set tiebreaker to finish off Tormey and Anderson, 21-7, 18-21, 15-4. In their next match against Darija Salmaric and Aren Cupp of FIU, the veteran pair continued their strong play with a straight set victory, 21-14, 21-13. Pavels and Brown now have an all-time record of 49-19 when playing together. Seniors Jace Pardon and Sarah Wickstrom proved they might be one of the best tandems in the nation adding two victories on Saturday. Pardon, a two-time All-American, and Wickstrom, a one-time All-American, were named All-Americans when pairing together in 2013. The partnership is back and they won all four of their sets in their two wins. Pardon and Wickstrom first got by Kaley Melville and Julie Bassett of Stetson, 21-18, 21-16. In their second match, they defeated FIU’s Arja Licka and Maryna Samoday, 22-20, 21-16. “Jace and Sarah are a very confident and strong team,” Corso said. “They definitely played well, but they still have room to improve.” The Seminoles have now won four straight home openers dating back to their inaugural season in 2012. “Everybody is getting better,” Corso said. “We don’t take anybody lightly, ever. FIU gave us our first loss in four years against an East Coast team. Hopefully we can come out strong in California with this competition under our belts.” The road doesn’t get any easier for Florida State with a trip to the West Coast on the horizon. The Noles next match will be against No. 5 Long Beach State and Irvine Valley College in Huntington Beach, Calif. on March 10. The next day, FSU takes on No. 1 Pepperdine in a redemption match of last year’s AVCA National Championship final. FSU vs. Stetson ResultsFSU vs. FIU Results
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 11, 2015 0:22:14 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released: 03/11/2015 Noles Get Back on Track with SweepHUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. – The No. 4 Florida State sand volleyball team began its West Coast road trip on Tuesday. The Seminoles got victories over Irvine Valley College (W, 5-0) and No. 5 Long Beach State (W, 4-1) at the IVC Invitational to improve their record to 3-1 on the season. “The girls were a little nervous the opening match [against Stetson and FIU],” head coach Danalee Corso said. “Everybody was hungry today and we wanted it more. We had the best warmup before our match in the history of our program and we came out strong from top to bottom. We had a great day.” Florida State started the day off with a dominating win over Irvine Valley College. The Noles swept the Lasers by winning all five courts without dropping a set. The Seminoles had a tougher time against the Beach, going to a third set on three of the five courts. FSU jumped out to a quick start by winning the first set on four courts, which eventually led to a 2-0 lead. Long Beach State fought back and closed the score to 2-1 before Florida State strung together victories on the last two courts that went to a third set. Seniors Jace Pardon and Sarah Wickstrom continued their winning ways on Tuesday. Pardon and Wickstrom won both of their matches including all four sets in impressive fashion. In their first match, they defeated Irvine Valley College’s Marisa Doran and Annie Mitchem 21-9, 21-11. Pardon and Wickstrom got Florida State on the board first in its match against Long Beach State as the senior tandem rolled passed Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Chelsea Cabrajac 21-13, 21-12. FSU’s top pair moved to 4-0 on the season and have yet to drop a set. Florida State’s most experienced duo also moved to 4-0 on the season. Senior Melanie Pavels and junior Julie Brown added a pair of wins to their record on Tuesday. After their strong start to the season, Corso moved them up a spot in the lineup to play on Court 3. Pavels and Brown made the most of that opportunity with a victory over Hailee Earnest and Hannah Matt of Irvine Valley College 21-9, 21-7. The veteran pair had a more difficult time in their second match against Long Beach State’s Jenelle Hudson and Bre Mackie. The match went into an epic third-set in which the pairs went back-and-forth until Pavels and Brown edged out Hudson and Mackie to win 21-17, 14-21, 22-20. “It was great volleyball,” Corso said. “It was really close. The pair from Long Beach State played very similarly to Julie and Mel. It was almost like they were playing themselves. It was very dynamic and very stressful, but a really fun match. That was a huge win for Julie and Mel.” Junior Annie Montgomery made it into the starting lineup for the first time this season. She played on Court 5 with freshman Vanessa Freire and they were able to come out with two victories. Montgomery and Freire had wins over IVC’s Hailey Jones and Shaelyn Perez, and Rachel Nieto and Sammee Thomas of LBSU. The Seminoles earned their first ranked victory of the season in their defeat of the Beach, 4-1. “We need to capitalize on our momentum,” Corso said. “We had a great day today. We are looking forward to the matchups tomorrow. We have our work cut out for us to beat Pepperdine on their home court. We know we are capable of doing it. TCU will also be interesting because they are a brand new program.” Florida State is back out in the sand on Wednesday as it seeks revenge against No. 2 Pepperdine at 3 p.m. in Zuma Beach, Calif. Pepperdine defeated Florida State in last year’s AVCA National Championship, 3-2. Following its match against Pepperdine, FSU will take on TCU at 5 p.m. Results: No. 4 Florida State def. Irvine Valley College, 5-0 Court 1: Pardon/Wickstrom (FSU) def. Doran/Mitchem (IVC) 21-9, 21-11 Court 2: Nyquist/S. Pellitteri (FSU) def. Peckich/Reinking (IVC) 21-11, 21-15 Court 3: Brown/Pavels (FSU) def. Earnest/Matt (IVC) 21-9, 21-7 Court 4: Paranagua/N. Pellitteri (FSU) def. Holdredge/Scheevel (IVC) 21-7, 21-15 Court 5: Freire/Montgomery (FSU) def. Jones/Perez (IVC) 21-11, 21-13 No. 4 Florida State def. No. 5 Long Beach State, 4-1 Court 1:Pardon/Wickstrom (FSU) def. Aigner-Swesey/Cabrajac (LBSU) 21-13, 21-12 Court 2: Brinke/Jackson (LBSU) def. Nyquist/S. Pellitteri (FSU) 21-17, 14-21, 15-13 Court 3: Brown/Pavels (FSU) def. Hudson/Mackie (LBSU) 21-16, 14-21, 22-20 Court 4: Paranagua/N. Pellitteri (FSU) def. McHugh/Wagner (LBSU) 21-15, 21-12 Court 5: Freire/Montgomery (FSU) def. Nieto/Thomas (LBSU) 21-17, 16-21, 15-9
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 12, 2015 0:43:18 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released 03/11/2015 Noles Unable to Get RevengeZUMA BEACH, CALIF. – The No. 4 Florida State sand volleyball team defeated TCU (W, 5-0), but fell against No. 2 Pepperdine (L, 4-1) on Wednesday. Both of the Seminoles losses have been against ranked opponents this season. Florida State was unable to get its revenge against Pepperdine. The Wave defeated the Seminoles last year at the AVCA National Championships, 4-3. Pepperdine hosted Florida State on Wednesday and the Wave proved to be too much for the Seminoles to handle. “I knew that Pepperdine was going to be very good,” head coach Danalee Corso said. “They have a bunch of experience and it was on their home turf. We now know what the bar is and what we have to do. We are learning how to travel and play on the road. Unfortunately we fell short today.” FSU won the first set on the bottom three courts but lost the second set on all five courts, giving Pepperdine the momentum. Junior Kristina Pellitteri and freshman Victoria Paranagua gave Florida State its lone point of the match when they defeated Sophie Asprey and Taylor Rachich 21-15, 19-21, 16-14. Pepperdine tied the third set at 14-14 before Pelliteri and Paranagua rallied off two points, which included a block by Pellitteri to clinch the victory. Florida State took on TCU in its next match of the day in the inaugural season for the Horned Frogs. “TCU is new this year,” Corso said. “They are a much tougher challenge than people could imagine starting a brand new sport. I love seeing the sport grow.” The Seminoles made quick work by sweeping the Horned Frogs. FSU only allowed more than 11 points in a set once, while each pair won in straight sets. The Noles will have a few days off until they are back in the sand for a double header against No. 6 Loyola Marymount and No. 3 Southern California on Saturday, followed by a Pairs Tournament on Sunday. “We didn’t play our best today,” Corso said. “We need to get more consistent and get some rest. LMU and USC is going to be two more tough matches. We are going to have to regroup and learn from each match. Hopefully we can come out victorious.” Results: No. 2 Pepperdine def. No. 4 Florida State, 4-1 Court 1: Kellie Woolever/Kelley Larsen (PEP) def. Jace Pardon/Sarah Wickstrom (FSU) 21-15, 21-16 Court 2: Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Stephanie Pellitteri/Taylor Nyquist (FSU) 21-13, 21-19 Court 3: Emily Cook/Delany Knudsen (PEP) def. Melanie Pavels/Julie Brown (FSU) 18-21, 21-12, 15-9 Court 4: Victoria Paranagua/Kristina Pellitteri (FSU) def. Sophie Asprey/Taylor Racich (PEP) 21-15, 19-21, 16-14 Court 5: Corinne Quiggle/Katie Messing (PEP) def. Vanessa Freire/Annie Montgomery (FSU) 15-21, 21-18, 15-13 No. 4 Florida State def. TCU, 5-0 Court 1: Jace Pardon/Sarah Wickstrom (FSU) def. Natalie Gower/Shane Peters (TCU) 21-9, 21-7 Court 2: Stephanie Pellitteri/Taylor Nyquist (FSU) def. Ashley Smith/Macy Capen (TCU) 21-15, 21-6 Court 3: Melanie Pavels/Julie Brown (FSU) def. Alexia Heist/Sutton Sunstrum (TCU) 21-11, 21-9 Court 4: Victoria Paranagua/Kristina Pellitteri (FSU) def. Blaire Pickens/Sarah Grantham (TCU) 21-10, 21-7 Court 5: Vanessa Freire/Annie Montgomery (FSU) def. Chyanne Perkins/Chyna Perkins (TCU) 21-10, 21-9
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 14, 2015 0:41:44 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released 03/13/2015 FSU Gets Another Ranked WinLOS ANGELES, CALIF. – The No. 4 Florida State sand volleyball team finished the dual match portion of its West Coast road trip on Friday. FSU defeated No. 6 LMU (W, 3-2) in its first match, but fell to No. 3 USC (L, 4-1) in its second match of the double header at Merle Norman Stadium. “It is really difficult to play on the road,” head coach Danalee Corso said. “We have played with four different brands of balls, all kind of different scenarios, formats and all different types of beaches. I think this is why we do so well at the end of the year because this is a very tough trip for us, but we learn and grow so much.” Florida State clinched the match quickly against Loyola Marymount by getting wins in straight sets on the first three courts that finished for its sixth victory of the season. Junior Annie Montgomery and freshman Vanessa Freire got the Noles on the board first with their victory over Kristen Castellanos and Taylor Scioscia 21-11, 21-11. Freire is now tied for second on the team with five wins this season. In their first match together this year, senior Taylor Nyquist and redshirt sophomore Katherine Plessy pulled out a win on Court 3 against Avery Brown and Anne Marie Taylor 21-15, 21-18. The Seminoles started in a hole against the Trojans in their next match with an injury forcing them to forfeit on Court 1. Junior Nina Pellitteri and freshman Tory Paranagua kept their impressive play going on Friday by adding two more wins to their record. Pellitteri and Paranagua started the day with a victory over LMU’s Rachelle Suaava and Hannah Tedrow 21-15, 21-19. They followed that performance with another straight set win against Nicolette Martin and Allie Wheeler of USC 21-19, 21-19. After dropping their first two matches of the season, Pellitteri and Paranagua have won six matches in a row. Florida State will play in a pairs tournament on Saturday against LMU and USC in Los Angeles to conclude its West Coast trip. The Seminoles will return back to Tallahassee and begin preparing for another road trip to Columbia, S.C. where they will play six dual matches in a three-day span starting on March 20. “It has been a very grueling trip both mentally and physically,” Corso said. “I think the entire country has gotten better. There has been a significant difference from the quality of play from a year ago. It is going to make it a very interesting rest of the season, but we are excited for it and we will be ready. We know what we have to work on. Our focus now is to win the East region.” FSU vs LMU ResultsFSU vs USC Results
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Post by thechoppingblock on Mar 16, 2015 10:26:19 GMT -5
Photo Courtesy: Florida State Athletics Courtesy: Seminoles.com Released 03/14/2015 Pairs Tournaments Concludes West Coast Road TripLOS ANGELES, CALIF. – The No. 4 Florida State sand volleyball team competed in the 2015 USC Pairs Tournament on Saturday to conclude its West Coast road trip. The Seminoles had six different pairings come away with wins and had four of the eight teams in the quarterfinals. “Pairs events are always interesting because it allows us to play the majority of our team and it gives them the opportunity to perform,” head coach Danalee Corso. “We played really hard today. One of our strengths is flexibility and practicing with different partners. We have the ability to make adjustments.” Junior Nina Pellitteri and freshman Tory Paranagua continued their success out west by reaching the semifinals at the pairs tournament. Pellitteri and Paranagua won their first two matches of the day to extend their match winning streak to eight before falling in the semifinals to USC’s No. 1 tandem and eventual champion Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes, 21-15, 21-15. In the Round of 16, junior Annie Montgomery and freshman Vanessa Freire won in the highlight match of the day. Montgomery and Freire went toe-to-toe with USC’s No. 2 pair Sophie Bukovec and Alexa Strange. The match went into an epic tiebreaker with the Florida State duo pulling out the upset victory, 31-29. “Annie and Vanessa had an incredible growth spurt this week,” Corso said. “They played better than I have ever seen them play today. They played great individually and great as a team. They incorporated a ton of the new techniques that we have been using. I am so proud of how confident they looked and the teamwork that they played with.” Junior Kayla Joyce and sophomore Katie Horton won two of their three matches to reach the quarterfinals, including an upset victory over LMU’s No. 2 pair of Taylor Akana and Litara Keil, 28-20. The Seminoles’ top tandem was the fourth FSU pair to reach the quarterfinals. Senior Melanie Pavels and junior Julie Brown was dominate in their only win of the day. The experience duo defeated Lindsay Carr and Kristen Castellanos of LMU, 28-8. The Seminoles played six dual matches in a four-day span in three different cities. They went 4-2 over the course of their West Coast trip with the two losses coming against teams ranked in the top-3 in the country. “It has been a grueling tour of nine days of travelling, but we got better every single day,” Corso said. “The girls got some very valuable experience.” Florida State will return back to Tallahassee and begin preparing for another road trip to Columbia, S.C. where they will play six dual matches in a three-day span starting on March 20. “We have a big trip to South Carolina coming up with some of the best teams in the East,” Corso said. “We will have to be ready to play and compete. We are excited to get back to competition on our side of the country.” USC Pairs Tournament Results
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