On Oct. 26, the University of North Alabama’s beach volleyball team opened their season at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Fall Pairs Tournament, debuting with a total of six wins. This was their first game back since the end of their spring season back in April.
The games opened up with the Lions facing UAB and the University of Tennessee at Martin, each pair playing in two matches across five pools. With a total of eight pairs entering the tournament, UNA left with a total of six wins for their first tournament of the season. This tournament served as a branch for UNA’s beach volleyball team as they worked their way up to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Pairs qualifier on Nov. 2 and 3.
With the start of the season, many of their practices have been centered around what the team would be expecting at the qualifiers in November. UNA should have placed in the top three in order to qualify for the championship for the AVCA qualifiers, though they still would have the potential to head to the championship if they finish fourth or fifth.
The Lions had three pairs at the qualifiers, Ryenne Gepford and Selma Robinson as Pair 1, Pien Grooters and Kaitlyn Holbrook as Pair 2 and Aurora Bibolotti and Mabrey Whitehead as Pair 3. Separated in six pools with four pairs each, Pairs 2 and 3 managed a win and a loss, and Pair 1 won both pool matches.
Bibolotti and Whitehead lost their first match to Southeastern Louisiana with a score of 17-21, 21-16, 14-16, but they won their second against Central Arkansas at 21-10, 21-16. They placed third in Pool 2.
Grooters and Holbrook placed second in Pool 4 by beating Eastern Kentucky at 18-21, 21-14, 15-5 but losing to UAB with a score of 18-21, 19-21.
Gepford and Robinson placed first in Pool 3, winning against Austin Peay with a high margin of victory, 21-13, 21-5, and UT Martin 21-19, 21-14.
All three pairs advanced from the pools to the bid bracket, but only Gepford and Robinson advanced to the next phase, who soon fell to Mercer, 19-21, 17-21, following to dispute the fifth place. They played against UAB for the fifth place semifinals, winning 2-1 sets, but failed to conquer the fifth spot when Georgia State got them at 14-21, 21-19, 8-15.
