Beach Volleyball Falls to #4 Florida State and #1 USC

Friday, March 17

Honolulu, Hawaii

2:15 PM

University of Utah

Florida State

Beach Volleyball Falls to #4 Florida State and #1 USC

3/17/2017 9:04 PM | Beach Volleyball

USC-Utah Results FSU-Utah Results

Utah plays tough opening matches at Outrigger Hawaii Invitational

HONOLULU – The Utah beach volleyball team began competition on Friday at the Outrigger Hawaii Invitational at Queen's Beach in Honolulu, where the Utes dropped both duals on the first day of play.

Utah faced No. 4-ranked Florida State in their opening match of the two-day event. The Utes fell 4-1 to the Seminoles. Utah finished the first day of competition against defending national champion and current No. 1-ranked USC. The Trojans would take the team win 4-1.

Against Florida State, Nikki Esposito and Hailey Luke took the first match against Utah's No. 5 pairing of sophomores Berkeley Oblad and Emily Twohig to get an early 1-0 lead in the dual. Oblad and Twohig fell in two sets 21-8, 21-13.

Partnering as the No. 3 duo, junior Eliza Katoa and freshman Torre Glasker fell 22-20, 21-15, against Francesa Goncalves and Macy Jerger to give Florida State the early advantage, 2-0.

Utah earned a win in the No. 1 position to make the team score 2-1 when Junior Adora Anae and freshman Dani Barton knocked off Florida State's top duo, Brooke Kuhlman and Leigh Andrew, in straight sets, 21-15, 21-12.

Florida State clinched the team win after junior Tawnee Luafalemana and freshman Brianna Doehrmann fell to Molly McBain and Sierra Sanchez in the No. 4 position. The Ute duo took the first set 23-21, but dropped the next two sets 21-9, 15-9.

Utah's No. 2 duo, freshman Bailey Choy and junior Carly Trueman, also fell in three sets. Choy and Trueman dropped the first set 21-14, to Victoria Paranagua and Vanesa Freire, won the second set 21-19, but fell 15-9 in the third set.

In exhibition, freshman Lauren Sproule and sophomore Megan Boudreaux fell to Eva Torruella and Ali Eager 21-8, 21-15.

Against USC, the Trojans took the first two points in the dual to lead early. Luafalemana and Doehrmann fell 21-12, 21-10, to Abril Bustamante and Joy Dennis in the No. 4 position, while Oblad and Twohig dropped sets to Jo Kremer and Jenna Belton, 21-14, 21-14, as the No. 5 duo.

Choy and Katoa fell 21-14, 21-19, to USC's No. 2 pairing of Sophie Bukovec and Allie Wheeler that would clinch the team win.

The Trojans would also take a point in the No. 1 position, where Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes defeated Barton and Anae. Barton and Anae started strong after winning the first set 21-12, but the USC duo took the next two sets, 22-20, 15-7, to win their 81^st consecutive match.

Utah's No. 3 pairing of Glasker and Trueman picked up the sole win for Utah in the dual against USC. Glasker and Trueman took the first set, 21-15, from Nicolette Martin and Terese Cannon but would fall 21-11 in the second set. In the decisive third set, Glasker and Trueman came out on top, 15-13.

Utah will finish competition at the Outrigger Hawaii Invitational beginning Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MT against tournament host, No. 5-ranked Hawaii. Utah will also compete against Nebraska and No. 7-ranked Arizona. Live stats are available via http://www.statbroadcast.com.