Florida Atlantic University’s women’s beach volleyball team, ranked No. 15 nationally, opened the Chanticleer Challenge in Conway, South Carolina, with two victories on Friday. The Owls defeated Tulane University 3-2 and followed with a 4-1 win over Coastal Carolina University.
The results bring Florida Atlantic’s overall season record to 9-1. Tulane dropped to an even 5-5, while Coastal Carolina fell to 3-6 for the year.
In their match against Tulane, Klaire VanDeusen and Mia Scanlon gave FAU its first point by winning at the No. 4 position in straight sets (21-19, 21-15). Olivia Strandberg and Ava Koehl added another point after coming from behind for a three-set victory on court two (12-21, 21-19, 15-13). Cameron Knifton and Allison Spittal secured the match with a straight-set win at No. 5 (21-19, 21-18). Tulane claimed wins at courts one and three before FAU closed out the contest.
Against Coastal Carolina later in the day, Strandberg and Koehl again put FAU ahead early with a straight-set win on court two (21-15, 21-15). Reese Edwards and Kendall Mignerey extended the lead with another straight-set result at No. 4 (21-17, 21-18). VanDeusen and Scanlon clinched the overall victory for FAU on court three (21-14, 21-14), while Knifton and Spittal completed their second win of the day at No. 5 (21-16, 24-22). Coastal Carolina managed one point by winning on court one.
Florida Atlantic now holds a lifetime record of 12 wins and four losses against Tulane and is four wins to one loss versus Coastal Carolina. This marked their second win over Coastal Carolina this season.
Knifton and Spittal improved their season record as a pair to a team-leading nine wins against one loss. Koehl and Strandberg finished the day with two victories to reach an eight-win mark on the season; VanDeusen and Scanlon also went undefeated Friday for a season total of seven wins. Edwards and Mignerey split their matches on Friday for an overall pair record of four wins and five losses.
The Owls are scheduled to finish competition at the Chanticleer Challenge Saturday when they face fourth-ranked Cal Poly and Georgia State.
For updates on Florida Atlantic Beach Volleyball throughout the season, fans can follow @FAUBeachVB on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram or like FAU Beach Volleyball on Facebook.
