TAVARES, Fla. (April 15, 2022) – The Spring Hill College (SHC) Sandy Badgers beach volleyball team advanced to the Final Four of the Gold Bracket at the 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Small College Championships at Hickory Point Beach on Friday.
 
The Badgers opened the day with a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Javalinas (18-10) of Texas A&M – Kingsville (TAMUK) in their final match of Pool Play, but bounced back to win a thrilling 3-2 decision versus the Sailfish (18-14) of Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) in a challenge match to determine the final spot in the Final Four.
 
SHC and PBAU battled down to the final point with the match tied 2-2 and the No. 5 Court knotted at 1 set each. Briley Jane Becker and Emily Weinzapfel came through for the purple and white, surviving a war to take a 21-19 victory and secure the spot in the semifinal match for the fourth consecutive tournament.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville 3, Spring Hill College 0
1. Kassandra Fairly / Jessica Fairly (SHC) vs. Tenley Housler / Macie Satterwhite (TAMUK) unfinished
2. Mikayla Boyer / Natalie Bonner (SHC) vs. Lexi Ahrens / Adrienne Van Brunt (TAMUK) unfinished
3. Olivia Nicholson / Roxanne Morris (TAMUK) def. Leanne Sorrel / Kyla Shappell (SHC) 21-19, 23-21
4. Madelyn Wallace / Rylie Anderson (TAMUK) def. Brooke Borgmeyer / Linnea Beger (SHC) 21-16, 15-21, 15-10
5. Meghan Merlino / Christina Gragasin (TAMUK) def. Becker / Weinzapfel (SHC) 21-13, 21-12
 
Spring Hill College 3, Palm Beach Atlantic University 2
1. Jasmine Schmidt / Lunden Evans (PBAU) def. K. Fairly / J. Fairly (SHC) 21-15, 21-11
2. Lyndzey Minter / Abigail DeVido (PBAU) def. Boyer / Bonner (SHC) 21-16, 26-24
3. Sorrel / Shappell (SHC) def. Julia Golichowski / Karla Cantero (PBAU) 23-21, 25-23
4. Borgmeyer / Beger (SHC) def. Olivia Finckel/Abigail Mason (PBAU) 11-21, 21-10, 16-14
5. Becker / Weinzapfel (SHC) def. Gabriella Aziz / Emma Vann (PBAU) 21-16, 13-21, 21-19
 
The Badgers (22-8) will play the Concordia University – Irvine Eagles (22-4) at 10 a.m. (east) Saturday in the semifinal round.