TAVARES, Fla. – The 2^nd-seeded Spring Hill College (SHC) Sandy Badgers beach volleyball team closed out the 2021 season with a run to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Small College National Championships NCAA Division II Finals on Sunday, but fell 3-0 to perineal power the University of Tampa (UT) Spartans.
 
The National Runners-up title by the Badgers marks the best showing for SHC in its third appearance at the National Championships. Previously, the Badgers had finished third in 2018 and 2019 with the 2020 event canceled due the NCAA Novel Coronavirus Pandemic Shutdown.
 
This appearance is just the second time any SHC sport has reached a team National Championship Finals with the Badger softball team reaching the NAIA National Championship game in 2013.
 
The Badgers reached the title game by sweeping through pool play on Friday and Saturday with a 3-0 mark and then winning a heart-pounding 3-2 decision in a tie-breaker challenge match versus rivals the Texas A&M-Kingsville (TAMK) Javalinas on Saturday evening to secure a bye in the first round of bracket play. In the semifinals, SHC defeated the Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) Sailfish 3-2 in another barn-burner finish.
 
After the tournament, the SHC No. 1 Court pair of Kassandra Fairly and Payton Gidney were named to 2021 AVCA Division II All-America team.
 
Spring Hill College 3, Texas A&M-Kingsville 2
1. Kassandra Fairly/Payton Gidney (SHC) def. Olivia Nicholson/Roxanne Morris (TAMK) 21-11, 21-13
2. Debra Rogers/Shelby Williams (TAMK) def. Sarah Senft/Mikayla Boyer (SHC) 24-22, 22-20
3. Allison Weimer/Leanne Sorrel (SH) def. Tenley Housler/Macie Satterwhite (TA) 22-20, 18-21, 15-13
4. Emily North/Rylie Anderson (TA) def. Natalie Bonner/Brooke Borgmeyer (SH) 15-21, 21-18, 15-10
5. Linnea Beger/Kyla Shappell (SHC) def. Adrienne VanBrunt/Macy Berg (TAMK) 20-22, 21-12, 15-10
 
Spring Hill College 3, Palm Beach Atlantic University 2
1. Jasmine Schmidt/Lunden Evans (PB) def. Kassandra Fairly/Payton Gidney (SH) 21-15, 13-21, 15-10
2. Sarah Senft/Mikayla Boyer (SHC) def. Lyndzey Minter/Abigail DeVido (PBAU) 21-18, 21-19
3. Allison Weimer/Leanne Sorrel (SHC) def. Olivia Finckel/Emma Pieper (PBAU) 21-23, 21-17, 15-11
4. Natalie Bonner/Brooke Borgmeyer (SHC) def. Jessica Nodell/Sydney Wagner (PBAU) 24-22, 25-23
5. Julia Golichowski/Gabriella Aziz (PBAU) def. Linnea Beger/Kyla Shappell (SHC) 22-20, 21-14
 
Tampa 3, Spring Hill College 0
1. Julia Oswald/Rachel Rosequist (UT) def. Kassandra Fairly/Payton Gidney (SHC) 21-13, 21-19
2. Melissa Elias/Valerie Rosequist (UT) def. Sarah Senft/Mikayla Boyer (SHC) 21-6, 21-14
3. Katie McKiel/Tatiana Gutierrez (UT) vs. Allison Weimer/Leanne Sorrel (SHC) unfinished
4. Kiersten Anderson/Madison Brunick (UT) vs. Natalie Bonner/Brooke Borgmeyer (SHC) unfinished
5. Claire Overton/Payton Brunick (UT) def. Linnea Beger/Kyla Shappell (SHC) 21-14, 21-16
 
The Badgers finished the season with a record of 18-9, surpassed only by their 20-11 mark in 2019.