BATON ROUGE, La. (February 28, 2025) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team took a win in the opening day of the Tiger Beach Challenge, defeating the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, 3-2, from Baton Rouge, La.
The second invite of the season resulted in the Lions going 1-1 in bouts against No. 10 LSU and Louisiana-Monroe. Similar to the first outing at the Beach Burg Invitational, North Alabama took a point from the Tigers before leaving the day with a hard-fought 3-2 win against the Warhawks.
Three different pairings added wins to their season tally, led by graduate Kaitlyn Holbrook and junior Hailey Benesz securing a 2-0 record on the day. Playing in the fifth flight, they opened with a win against No. 10 LSU before a second win against Louisiana-Monroe. Senior Katy Floyd and junior Selma Robinson took a top-flight win against the Warhawks, with sophomore Aurora Bibolotti and freshman Paige Griner securing a third-flight victory against ULM.
Floyd and Robinson won for the second time this season, along with Bibolotti and Griner. Holbrook and Benesz also picked up their first two wins as a pair this season.
Match 1 — #10 LSU 4, North Alabama 1
North Alabama fell in the opening dual against the No. Tigers, but UNA once again took a point by way of Kaitlyn Holbrook and Hailey Benesz. The two took the fifth flight over LSU's Elle Evers and Gracey Campbell, defeating the Tigers' top flight in straight sets.
The opening set went into a win-by-two situation, but the Holbrook and Benesz prevailed in the 23-21 victory. Set two was close as well, but the UNA pairing maintained composure en route to a 21-17 set triumph. The win marked the second of the season for Benesz and first for Holbrook.
The remaining four matches went in favor of LSU, but the second flight needed three sets to determine a winner.
Senior Ryenne Gepford and freshman Pien Grooters overcame a first-set defeat to battle back in the second to send the match in a deciding third. Gepford and Grooters fell in the opening frame, with LSU's Aubrey O'Gorman and Julia Sprecher needing to win by two with a 23-21 decision.
Gepford and Grooters responded with in the second with a solid 21-14 second set, setting up the battle in the third. The Tigers' saw the remaining match out with a 15-9 win over the UNA pair.
1. Parker Bracken/Gabi Bailey (LSU) def. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) 21-18, 21-12
2. Aubrey O'Gorman/Julia Sprecher (LSU) def. Ryenne Gepford/Pien Grooters (UNA) 23-21, 14-21, 15-9
3. Camryn Chatellier/Emily Meyer (LSU) def. Paige Griner/Aurora Bibolotti (UNA) 21-17, 21-18
4. Tatum Finlason/Skylar Martin (LSU) def. Mabrey Whitehead/Lucy Wedding (UNA) 21-13, 21-10
5. Hailey Benesz/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA) def. Elle Evers/Gracey Campbell (LSU) 23-21, 21-17
Match 2 — North Alabama 3, Louisiana-Monroe 2
The Lions answered back with a win in their second dual, with UNA holding off Louisiana-Monroe en route to the team's second win of the season.
Floyd and Robinson won from the top flight over Kaitlyn Beck and Madeline Marquez, securing the win with a 21-9, 21-16 score line. Griner and Bibolotti also picked up a win against the Warhawks, taking a 21-16, 21-12 bout from flight three against ULM's Maggie Cox and Katie Felts. North Alabama's third win came courtesy of Holbrook and Benesz, who defeated the Warhawks' Kobie Fowler and Hope Bailey from the fifth flight, 21-10, 21-16.
Louisiana-Monroe took two courts from the second and fourth flights, but both had to be determined in the third set.
Gepford and Grooters took the opening set in their match from court two, but the Warhawks' Abby Ryno and Claire Williamson answered with two-straight set wins to take the contest, 13-21, 21-16, 15-7.
Junior Lucy Wedding and freshman Mabrey Whitehead also went three sets against Gracie Behneke and ZsaZsa Ferguson, but the two were defeated in a 20-22, 21-18, 15-13 battle.
1. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) def. Kaitlyn Beck/Madeline Marquez (ULM) 21-9, 21-16
2. Abby Ryno/Claire Williamson (ULM) def. Ryenne Gepford/Pien Grooters (UNA) 13-21, 21-16, 15-7
3. Paige Griner/Aurora Bibolotti (UNA) def. Maggie Cox/Katie Felts (ULM) 21-16, 21-12
4. Gracie Behneke/ZsaZsa Ferguson (ULM) def. Lucy Wedding/Mabrey Whitehead (UNA) 20-22, 21-18, 15-13
5. Hailey Benesz/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA) def. Kobie Fowler/Hope Bailey (ULM) 21-10, 21-16
COMING UP NEXT
Day two at LSU opens at 8 a.m., with North Alabama opening with a bout against the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions. Following the opener, the Lions cap the weekend against South Florida at 11:45 a.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
