BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 8, 2025) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team earned its first win against an Atlantic Sun Conference foe Saturday, taking a 5-0 sweep against EKU to conclude the March To May Invitational.
Day two in Birmingham ended with North Alabama totaling three wins over the course of the two-day invite. Facing the Colonels and hosts UAB, the Lions dominated EKU en route to a third-consecutive sweep from the weekend. In the bout against the Blazers, UNA was tested with the final match determining the winner of the dual. In the competitive matchup, UAB held off North Alabama to conclude the invitational.
Senior Ryenne Gepford and freshman Pien Grooters went unbeaten on the day, adding two more wins to finish 4-0 on the weekend. Sophomore Aurora Bibolotti and freshman Paige Griner also finished with two wins on the day, cementing UNA's second pairing with a 4-0 weekend record.
Senior Katy Floyd and junior Selma Robinson claimed a win against EKU to add to their season tally, with junior Lucy Wedding and freshman Mabrey Whitehead gaining a third win of the invite against the Colonels. Graduate Kaitlyn Holbrook and junior Hailey Benesz rounded out the UNA wins with a court five victory against EKU.
The Lions head back to Florence at 7-5, finishing the invitational with a 3-1 record.
Match 1 — North Alabama 5, EKU 0
The Lions' momentum continued to roll in the opening dual, with UNA sweeping EKU in its first action against an ASUN opponent. North Alabama took four of the five courts in straight sets, putting on a strong display en route to the first conference win of the season.
Wedding and Whitehead nabbed the Lions' first win of the day, taking a court four win over the Colonels' Maddy Richardson and EK Lonergan, 21-19, 21-14. Gepford and Grooters added to the team tally with a win from court two, needing three sets to defeat EKU's Rachel Mueller and Molly Shomock. The UNA duo rebounded from dropping the second set of the matchup, winning convincingly in the third towards a 21-16, 15-21, 15-8 triumph.
Floyd and Robinson beat the Colonels' Paityn Walker and Gabby Armitage, 21-14, 21-13, from the top flight and cementing the team win with the victory. Griner and Bibolotti followed shortly after, taking a 21-14, 21-13 win from the third flight over EKU's Reagan Sandlin and Riley Cutler. The final win came from court five, with UNA's Benesz and Holbrook beating Bella Williams and Elpida Pitsigkoni, 22-20, 21-17.
The Colonels picked up a win in the extra match, as Sami Deidesheimer and Natalie Taggart took a 21-14, 16-21, 15-13 win over UNA's Hope Dicken and Bella Heyne.
1. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) def. Paityn Walker/Gabby Armitage (EKU) 21-14, 21-13
2. Ryenne Gepford/Pien Grooters (UNA) def. Rachel Mueller/Molly Shomock (EKU) 21-16, 15-21, 15-8
3. Paige Griner/Aurora Bibolotti (UNA) def. Reagan Sandlin/Riley Cutler (EKU) 21-14, 21-13
4. Lucy Wedding/Mabrey Whitehead (UNA) def. Maddy Richardson/EK Lonergan (EKU) 21-19, 21-14
5. Hailey Benesz/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA) def. Bella Williams/Elpida Pitsigkoni (EKU) 22-20, 21-17
Extra: Sami Deidesheimer/Natalie Taggart (EKU) def. Hope Dicken/Bella Heyne (UNA) 21-14, 16-21, 15-13
Order of Finish: (4,2,6,1,3,5)
Match 2 — UAB 3, North Alabama 2
North Alabama's winning streak came to an end in competitive fashion, falling to UAB in final dual of the weekend.
The Lions and Blazers battled to the very last match, with both teams taking two courts and needing a decider from the fifth flight. Seven points separated the two pairs across the three sets, but the Blazers ultimately took the final court en route to the victory over UNA.
Gepford and Grooters opened the dual with a win for North Alabama, earning their fifth-straight win in a 21-15, 21-15 victory over UAB's Isabel Day and Claudia Stockard. The Blazers answered back with a triumph from court four, also claiming the top flight to take a 2-1 lead.
The final two flights came down to three sets, but North Alabama's Griner and Bibolotti gave the Lions life with a win from court three. The final frame needed to be won by two, but the UNA duo tied the dual with a 21-16, 18-21, 17-15 triumph.
Benesz and Holbrook faced off against the Blazers' Ashley Torsone and Addison Atkins from the fifth flight. The opening set needed to be won by two, but the UNA pairing struck first with a 24-26 victory. The second frame went in favor of UAB's Torsone and Atkins, narrowly taking the set, 21-18. The final frame was a contested bout between the two pairs, but the Blazers saw the set and match out with a 15-13 triumph.
In the extra match, junior Sarah Larkin Lewis and freshman Brooke Bolden won in three sets over UAB's Dixie Farish and Madison Loving, 19-21, 21-15, 15-6.
1. Olivia Stant/Jasmine Haas (UAB) def. Katy Floyd/Selma Robinson (UNA) 22-20, 21-18
2. Ryenne Gepford/Pien Grooters (UNA) def. Isabel Day/Claudia Stockard (UAB) 21-15, 21-15
3. Paige Griner/Aurora Bibolotti (UNA) def. Sadie Sharpe/Azmabeth Infante (UAB) 21-16, 18-21, 17-15
4. Klea Sirois/Olivia Chychrun (UAB) def. Lucy Wedding/Mabrey Whitehead (UNA) 21-14, 21-16
5. Ashley Torsone/Addison Atkins (UAB) def. Hailey Benesz/Kaitlyn Holbrook (UNA) 24-26, 21-18, 15-13
Extra: Sarah Larkin Lewis/Brooke Bolden (UNA) def. Dixie Farish/Madison Loving (UAB) 19-21, 21-15, 15-6
Order of Finish: (2,4,6,1,3,5)
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions host their first event of the season March 14-15, welcoming Missouri State, Tusculum, Austin Peay, and Chattanooga to Florence for the North Alabama Invitational.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
