Beach Volleyball Set for AVCA Small College Championships
GULF SHORES, Ala. – The University of Tampa women's beach volleyball is headed to Alabama for the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Small College Beach Championship as the tournaments two seed. The seeding comes after the Spartans swept their way through the first ever Sunshine State Conference Championship. Tampa will take a set of Lions in Vanguard, the eleven seed, and Emmanuel University, the fourteenth seed, in their Pool B play.
About No. 2 Tampa: The Spartans enter the AVCA tournament riding a wave of momentum, having finished the regular season 11–8 behind a seven-match win streak. At the first-ever Sunshine State Conference Championship, Tampa went a perfect 3–0, winning all nine completed flights across the weekend. The duo of Hailey Wolfe and Nevaeh Wolfe continue to shine, earning the SSC Pair of the Tournament in addition to their five regular season Duo of the Week awards. The Spartans are not only looking to three-peat but also capture their fifth national championship in six years.
About No. 11 Vanguard: The Lions head down to the AVCA Championships as the 11 seeded program. Although Vanguard finished their first year at Division II with a record of 9-14, the Lions closed out the regular season losing 11 of the final 12 games, including 8 striaght. Vanguard squared off against three nationally ranked opponents this season, falling to No. 9 Cal, No. 2 Loyola Marymount, and No. 8 Long Beach State all in straight sets. The Lions have never been matched up against either Tampa or Emmanuel.
About No. 14 Emmanuel: The final team included in Pool B, the Emmanuel University Lions are headed to AVCA championship with a 13-17 season record. The Lions fell in the South Atlantic Conference Championship, to Tusculum and Carson-Newman, who'd go on and win the tournament. Although Emmanuel and Tampa have never squared off on the sand, the Lions took on two Sunshine State Conference opoonents this season, falling to Barry 1-4 and being swpet by Palm Beach Atlantic.
This Weekend's Schedule:
Thursday, April 18
• Match 1: 8:00 AM – Tampa vs Emmanuel
• Match 2: 2:30 PM – Tampa vs Vangaurd