[cid:image001.jpg@01D84B9A.9155B670]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE College of Charleston Beach Volleyball News April 8, 2022 Contact | Whitney Noble, Associate Director of Athletics Communications & Creative Content Office Phone | 843.953.3683 | E-Mail | [log in to unmask] CHARLESTON SPLITS WITH UNCW, MERCER TO OPEN CAROLINA CHALLENGE CONWAY, S.C. --- The College of Charleston beach volleyball team split with UNCW and Mercer on Friday to open the weekend at Coastal Carolina’s Carolina Challenge falling to the Seahawks, 4-1, before edging Mercer, 3-2, to close out the day. QUICK SETS Final Score (Match One): UNCW 4, College of Charleston 1 Final Score (Match Two): College of Charleston 3, Mercer 2 Location: Conway, S.C. (Coastal Carolina Beach VB Complex) Records: Charleston (17-7), UNCW (18-7), Mercer (4-18) HOW IT HAPPENED In the first match of the day, UNCW pulled out a pair of gritty three-set wins at fours and fives to take a 2-0 lead into the second wave. The Seahawks then recorded victories in the first and third flights before Charleston got on the board with a three-set win at twos. The Cougars bounced back with a 3-2 win over Mercer in the second match of the day. After the teams split at fours and fives, Charleston answered with comfortable victories in the second and third flights to seal its 17th win of the season. PAIR OF THE DAY Rebeca Olariu and Mikaela Dougherty posted a 2-0 mark on Saturday opening the day with a 21-14, 21-12 victory at sixes against UNCW before collecting the Cougars’ first point against Mercer with a 21-9, 21-14 win in the fifth flight. NOTABLES · Charleston’s 17 wins this season are good for second on the program’s single-season list and are three shy of tying the school record of 20 set in 2019. · Gabi Bailey and Kyra Thompson collected their 17th win of the campaign cruising to a 21-7, 21-14 decision in the third flight against Mercer. · Amani Dunston and Sofie Vogel rallied for a hard-fought three-set win against UNCW to move to 8-1 on the season. UNCW 4, College of Charleston 1 1. Mattie Johnson/Grace Sistrunk (UNCW) def. Sky Benjamin/Ella Reames (COFC) 21-18, 21-12 2. Amani Dunston/Sofie Vogel (COFC) def. Tessa Rogers/Sadie Sharkey (UNCW) 8-21, 21-18, 15-13 3. Ellie Bucci/Ashley Thompson (UNCW) def. Maria Zweig/Emma Falk (COFC) 21-17, 21-19 4. Brianna Haggerty/Maddy Folks (UNCW) def. Kyra Thompson/Gabi Bailey (COFC) 18-21, 21-14, 15-13 5. Kaley McLaughlin/Jadyn Barry (UNCW) def. Marie Martinsen/Jasmin Goei (COFC) 23-21, 10-21, 15-13 Ext. Rebeca Olariu/Mikaela Dougherty (COFC) def. Grace Melnick/Holly Cornelius (UNCW) 21-14, 21-12 College of Charleston 3, Mercer 2 1. Olivia Boeve/Lexi Polychrones (MER) def. Amani Dunston/Sofie Vogel (COFC) 21-16, 17-21, 15-13 2. Sky Benjamin/Ella Reames (COFC) def. Nicole O'Mara/Sydney Benson (MER) 21-15, 21-19 3. Kyra Thompson/Gabi Bailey (COFC) def. Jordan Paddock/Reese Hood (MER) 21-7, 21-14 4. Ellie Miller/Alyssa Scoggins (MER) def. Maria Zweig/Emma Falk (COFC) 22-20, 15-21, 17-15 5. Rebeca Olariu/Mikaela Dougherty (COFC) def. Kathryn Corbett/Jordan Morris (MER) 21-9, 21-14 Ext. Brooke Harris/Molly Russell (COFC) def. Emily Earwood/Gracen Bohling (MER) 21-15, 21-6 NEXT UP The Cougars will close out the weekend with two matches on Saturday taking on No. 18 South Carolina at 10:00 a.m. before squaring off against host Coastal Carolina at 4:00 p.m. -www.CofCSports.com- [signature_623259513] ----- To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE SPORTS as the body of the message.