The No. 13-ranked Florida Atlantic University beach volleyball team concluded play at the Florida Atlantic Beach Invitational on March 15, splitting its matches with a loss to No. 3 University of Southern California and a win over the University of Tampa in Pompano Beach.
The results leave Florida Atlantic with an 11-5 record for the season. USC improved to 16-3 overall, while Tampa dropped to 7-8. The invitational featured strong competition, with weather concerns prompting some adjustments in match completion.
In their first match of the day, the Sandy Owls fell to USC by a score of 4-0. The Trojans secured victories on courts one, five, three, and two before court four was abandoned due to anticipated inclement weather as teams switched to playing only until matches were decided. Key scores included Ashley Pater and Kennedy Coakley (USC) defeating Denisse Morgenstern and Shantel Starling (FAU) on court one (21-8, 21-11), and Zoey Henson/Sarah Wood (USC) winning over Olivia Strandberg and Ava Koehl (FAU) on court two (21-19, 21-12).
Florida Atlantic rebounded in its second match with a decisive 4-0 sweep against Tampa. Strandberg and Koehl opened with a straight-set win on court two (21-19, 21-12). VanDeusen and Scanlon followed with another straight-set victory at the threes (21-19, 22-20). Morgenstern and Starling clinched the match for FAU on court one (21-19, 21-18), while Edwards and Mignerey closed out the sweep at the fours (21-11, 21-17).
Notable achievements from the day include FAU improving its all-time record against Tampa to 6-1. Strandberg and Koehl finished the day with a split result but now hold a team-best record of 11 wins and four losses this season. Other pairs—VanDeusen/Scanlon, Morgenstern/Starling, Edwards/Mignerey—also posted one win each during Friday’s play.
Looking ahead, Florida Atlantic will travel to Jacksonville next weekend for North Florida’s tournament scheduled for March 20–21.
