Beach Volleyball Drops Two Tight Matches To Open Season

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Utah beach volleyball began its season with a pair of matches Friday at San Jose State, taking on Santa Clara and Concordia University Irvine. The Utes battled on the opening day and ultimately fell in both matches by a score of 3-2.
 
Utah began the day with the match against Santa Clara where Sommer Daniel and Lauren Sayre picked up the first win of the year on court four. Daniel and Sayre took the win 21-13, 21-15 to even the match score 1-1. Another win from Santa Clara pushed the score to 2-1, but the pairing of Marissa Koch and Samantha Leight on court three managed to even the match once again at 2-2. Koch and Leight downed their opponents 21-15, 21-19. The match was closed out on court five as the Utes fell and dropped the tightly contested season opener.
 
The second match of the day proved to come down to the wire once again as Utah came out just short against Concordia University Irvine. The Utes picked up wins at the end of the lineup on courts four and five for the two points of the match.
 
Daniel and Sayre got the job done for the second time of the day with a win on court four. The Ute duo battled and pulled out the three-set victory by a score of 22-20, 18-21, 15-13. Also finding themselves in a three-set battle were Sonja Wessel and Keira Sheehan, who saw their first action of the season. Wessel and Sheehan dropped the first set 16-21, but bounced back for the win after taking the next two sets 22-20, 16-14.
 
Utah beach volleyball will be back in action Saturday morning against hosts San Jose State at 10 a.m. MT, along with a match against Ottawa University at 1 p.m. MT. 
 

Santa Clara 3, Utah 2
1. Alexia Inman/Nicole Robison (SCUBVB) def. Grace Andrews/Bella Vezzani (UTAH) 21-17, 21-18
2. Michelle Shaffer/Jordan Bennett (SCUBVB) def. Sage Patchell/Amaya Messier (UTAH) 21-10, 21-13
3. Marissa Koch/Samantha Leight (UTAH) def. Claire Doud/Sophia Tulino (SCUBVB) 21-15, 21-19
4. Sommer Daniel/Lauren Sayre (UTAH) def. Elena Radeff/Alexie Epstein (SCUBVB) 21-13, 21-15
5. Alexia Gallegos/Casey Campbell (SCUBVB) def. Stef Jankiewicz/Kylie Pitzak (UTAH) 21-15, 21-6
Ext. Sonja Wessel/Keira Sheehan (UTAH) def. Natalia Rentsch/Elyse Erickson (SCUBVB) 17-21, 21-19, 15-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,4,1,3,5);
 
Concordia University Irvine 3, Utah 2
1. Hannah Phair/Vanessa Bernzen (CUI) def. Grace Andrews/Bella Vezzani (UTAH) 21-16, 21-9
2. Hailee Ryan/Sara Ostojic (CUI) def. Sage Patchell/Amaya Messier (UTAH) 21-17, 21-10
3. Shannon Evans/Tatum Smith (CUI) def. Marissa Koch/Samantha Leight (UTAH) 21-15, 21-13
4. Sommer Daniel/Lauren Sayre (UTAH) def. Ellie Cary/Isabella Bush (CUI) 22-20, 18-21, 15-13
5. Sonja Wessel/Keira Sheehan (UTAH) def. Delaney DeCines/Eva Prewitt (CUI) 16-21, 22-20, 16-14
Ext. Stef Jankiewicz/Kylie Pitzak (UTAH) def. Makena Houston/Olivia Highstreet (CUI) 21-14, 21-11