Lakewood Ranch, Fla - Despite falling short in the two-day NJCAA Region 8 Beach Volleyball Tournament, the #2 seed SCF beach volleyball team (12-5) were still able to punch their ticket to the NJCAA National Beach Volleyball Tournament with a 2-2 split. On day one, they defeated #3 seed Lake Sumter State (8-14) 3-2 before falling to #1 seed and eventual winners, Palm Beach State (21-6) 4-1 before splitting day two winning 3-1 over Lake Sumter State before falling 3-1 to Palm Beach State 3-1 in the finals. This was the third straight year that Palm Beach State has won the NJCAA Region 8 Tournament.
"I thought the team did a really good job last year when we faced Lake Sumter in the semifinals," said athletic director and interim head coach Nick Cichielo. "This year, we were able to push past that. Honestly, both games against Palm Beach were very good. They had a couple of points in our favor and we could have been the champions, so it's hard not to feel good about that."
Day One -
Before SCF played, Palm Beach State defeated #4 seed Florida State College at Jacksonville (1-15) 5-0 to advance to the semifinals.
SCF vs Lake Sumter State:
After the #4 pair fell, sophomore Addison Beaver and freshman Taylor would give the Manatees their first point as the All-NJCAA Region 8 #2 pair defeated redshirt freshmen Madeline Noel and Sydney Pickle 21-17, 21-5. The Manatees would then take the lead as sophomore Aleksandra Wrobel and freshman Emma Acedo Lapieza defeated sophomore Braelyn Mittauer and freshman Sophia Cooper 21-14, 21-12 at the #1 pair.
With two matches left, redshirt freshman Bianca Guerrero and freshman Aryanna Spainhower would seal the victory at the #5 pair defeated freshmen Moira Magnum and Jenna Walker 23-21, 21-18 before the Lakehawks took the #3 pair.
Lake Sumter State vs Florida State College at Jacksonville:
Following their loss to SCF, Lake Sumter would defeat Florida State College at Jacksonville 3-0 to remain alive, while the Manta Rays were the first team eliminated.
SCF vs Palm Beach State:
Wrapping up day one, the Panthers would take the first two pairs before Wrobel and Acedo Lapieza defeated sophomore Ava Andreotta and freshman Jasmine Rayner 21-15, 21-14 at the #1 pair. It would ultimately not be enough as the Panthers would take pairs three and five to advance to the championship game.
Day Two -
SCF vs Lake Sumter State:
On day two, the Manatees would fall at the #4 pair before Beaver and Orris defeated Pickle and sophomore Rylee Martineau in three sets by a score of 18-21, 22-20, 15-9 at the #2 pair. The Manatees would then take the lead as Guerrero and Spainhower would defeat Magnum and Walker 21-10, 21-17 at the #5 pair before Wrobel and Acedo Lapieza defeated Mittauer and Cooper 21-18, 21-12 at the #1 pair to seal the victory and secure an automatic spot in the national tournament.
SCF vs Palm Beach State:
Wrobel and Acedo Lapieza would defeat Andreotta and Rayner 21-8, 21-14 at the #1 pair, it would ultimately not be enough as the Panthers would seal three of the pairs and win the tournament.
Notes:
With her four wins in the tournament, Wrobel now has 33 career wins, which surpasses Yeva Serdiuk (31, 2022-23) for most all-time.
"It felt great," said Wrobel on the milestone. "I'm very happy to reach such a milestone, especially during a critical time as the state tournament. I couldn't have done without my partner Emma (Acedo Lapieza) and my teammates' support to help me achieve this."
With her two wins, Beaver has bumped up to 28 wins, which surpasses Kayla David (27, 2021-22) for third all-time and needs three to surpass Seriduk for second all-time.
Up Next:
As they secured their automatic bid, the Manatees can now focus on the NJCAA National Beach Volleyball Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama. There will be a selection show on April 23 at 3 pm to determine who the Manatees will play in round robin play.
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