SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State sand volleyball team closed out its three-day tournament and the 2015 season with 3-2 victories against both Boise State and Cal Poly on Sunday afternoon at the Sacramento Softball Complex.
With the victories, the Hornets concluded the season with a 6-8 record, and finished tournament play with a 4-2 mark. Sacramento State also had wins over San Jose State (4-1) and Cal (3-2) during the three-day event, and wrapped up its season with three consecutive wins.
In fact, of the seven teams at the tournament, Sacramento State (4-2) and San Francisco (3-1) finished with the best records, followed by Pacific (2-1), Boise State (3-3), Cal Poly (1-2), Cal (0-2) and San Jose State (0-2). Making the 4-2 record that much sweeter was Sacramento State used a number of underclassmen during the tournament, including at least three freshmen and three sophomores in all six matches.
Sacramento State got the match-clinching point in both wins today from the No. 1 tandem of Sloan Lovett and Kayla Beal, who won their match against Cal Poly by a 21-19, 21-12 score, and beat Boise State's top tandem by a 14-21, 21-17, 15-12 score.
In fact, that Boise State match, which was played under rainy and sometimes downpour conditions, had a number of close outcomes, as each of the Hornets' wins at Nos. 1, 3, and 5 came in three sets. Lexie Skalbeck and Shannon Boyle won their match at No. 3 by a 19-21, 22-20, 15-13 score, and freshmen Kennedy Kurtz and Hannah Meadows were victorious at No. 5 by a 21-13, 18-21, 15-12 score.
Not only was the tandem of Beal/Lovett victorious in both matches today, but Kurtz/Meadows also won both matches. That included making quick work (21-14, 21-9) of Cal Poly's No. 5 team of Casey Carroll and Shannon Fouts. In fact, Kurtz and Meadows had not been paired together all season until the victory last night against Cal, and promptly won all three matches together.
Skalbeck and Boyle finished the season 7-6 as a doubles team, including a 6-5 mark when playing at No. 3 in the lineup.
In the win over Cal Poly, all five matches were decided in straight sets with wins from Kurtz/Meadows at No. 5, Beal/Lovett at No. 1 (21-19, 21-12), and Morgan Stanley and Madeline Cannon at No. 2 (21-11, 21-18). The Hornets trailed in the match, 2-1, before getting victories from their 1's and 2's to pull out the win over the Mustangs.
Sacramento State concludes it season with a 6-8 record, and of those eight losses, five came against opponents ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation. Of the 13 players used during the sand season, five were freshmen and four were sophomores.
Below are the complete results from today. To see scores from every match of the tournament, click here.
Sacramento State 3, Cal Poly 2
1. Sloan Lovett/Kayla Beal (SAC) def. Raeann Greisen/Taylor Nelson (CP); 21-19, 21-12
2. Morgan Stanley/Madeline Cannon (SAC) def. Nicole Kessler/Caihla Petiprin (CP); 21-11, 21-18
3. Taylor Gruenewald/Anna Gorman (CP) def. Lexie Skalbeck/Shannon Boyle (SAC); 21-17, 21-18
4. Hannah Schleis/Katie Conroy (CP) def. Lauren Kissell/Lauren Aikels (SAC); 21-9, 21-16
5. Kennedy Kurtz/Hannah Meadows (SAC) def. Casey Carroll/Shannon Fouts (CP); 21-14, 21-9
Sacramento State 3, Boise State 2
1. Kayla Beal/Sloan Lovett (SAC) def. Hannah Hubbard/Maddy O'Donnell (BSU) 14-21, 21-17, 15-12
2. Sarah Baugh/Sierra Nobley (BSU) def. Madeline Cannon/Morgan Stanley (SAC) 21-12, 22-20
3. Lexie Skalbeck/Shannon Boyle (SAC) def. Katelyn Kinghorn/Aly Duffin (BSU) 19-21, 22-20, 15-13
4. Laney Hayes/Taylor Murphey (BSU) def. Lauren Aikels/Lauren Kissell (SAC) 22-20, 15-21, 15-6
5. Kennedy Kurtz/Hannah Meadows (SAC) def. Jaymee-Lee Bulda/Maddi Osburn (BSU) 21-13, 18-21, 15-12
