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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The 2023 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Beach Volleyball Championship got off to a hot start Thursday morning at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex in Huntsville, Ala. Third-seeded LSU and #4 Grand Canyon were zeroed in on their quest through the winner's bracket with both set to meet on Friday at 12:30 PM CT in a semifinal dual. The four-match day started with GCU defeating #5 South Carolina and LSU topping #6 Missouri State in the first round. The Lopes and Tigers continued their momentum into a pair of upset victories over top-seeded TCU (3-0) and #2 Florida State (3-1), respectively.
The Lopes captured their CCSA postseason victory with a 3-0 sweep of the Gamecocks before the Tigers defeated the Bears, 3-0. GCU's Samaya Morin and Allanis Navas were the first Lopes pair off the court on flight two with a 21-11, 21-17 win. GCU's top flight Alli Hansen and Abbie Hughes were next with a 21-18, 21-18 score before Jessica Drake and Dana Roskic won in three sets (21-17, 14-21, 15-12) to clinch the program's first conference championship win. LSU raced out to a 3-0 victory as all three courts finished within four minutes of each other with Grace Seits and Parker Bracken cruising to a 21-8, 21-10 decision at the No. 2 position before the pairs on Courts 4 and 5 completed the sweep. Ella Larkin and Lara Boos won 21-8, 21-6 on four and Melia Lindner and Amber Haynes were credited with the match point on Court 5.
In the third match of the afternoon, Grand Canyon's Morin and Navas captured the first points against #1 TCU with a 21-15, 21-17 win against Anhelina Khmil and Kate Privett. The GCU duo was followed up by a 21-15, 21-15 victory on Court 3 pair Cami Sanchez and Anaya Evans. The Horned Frogs threatened to get a point across as they led on the third sets on Courts 1 and 4 but Drake and Roskic once again emerged as the match-clinching pair on Court 5 (25-23, 23-21) to book the Lopes' trip to the semifinal. The win marked GCU's highest-ever ranked win to place them one match away from the championship final.
LSU was determined to close out the first day of action with a win against the six-time defending champion #2 Florida State. The top flights for the Tigers did their job as Kylie DeBerg and Ellie Shank defeated FSU's Maddie Anderson and Paige Kalkhoff, 21-17, 21-17. Grace Seits and Parker Bracken gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead moments later on Court 2, 21-12, 21-19. The Seminoles captured a straight-set victory on Court 5, 21-19, 21-15 to put all eyes on Courts 3 and 4 as the two were in a heated three-set battle. Hannah Brister and Reilly Allred put an exclamation point on the afternoon with a 21-15, 10-22, 15-11 victory on Court 3, helping the Tigers to a 2-0 day and a meeting with GCU in the winner's bracket semifinal on Friday.
The consolation bracket gets Friday morning started at 9:30 AM CT when TCU takes on Missouri State. Florida State and South Carolina are scheduled to meet at 11 AM CT as the four programs are in must-win mode to stay alive.
All of the 2023 CCSA Championship matches will be broadcasted live with Courts 6, 7 & 8 being featured on the Bally Sports App and Courts 9 & 10 streamed on AVP Beach Volleyball's YouTube page.
For the second consecutive season, the event features VIP experience tickets for fans that are available for $40 per day. Access to the VIP pavilion area includes shaded seating and a premier view of all 10 courts, VIP access comes with two drink tickets and a cash bar available after drink tickets are used. The VIP area will include refreshments and a catered meal featuring a local menu. Children 8 and under are free. There are no refunds pending inclement weather and re-entry is allowed with the proper credentials. Tickets for the VIP experience can be purchased HERE.
Follow @CCSA_Beach on Twitter for live updates throughout the postseason.
The Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) is a progressive NCAA Division I conference dedicated to the enhancement of opportunities for students. The conference was founded in 2008 to provide a championship opportunity for Swimming and Diving student-athletes and extended that opportunity with the addition of Beach Volleyball in the summer of 2015. The league's footprint extends into several states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia. The CCSA is dedicated to the student-athletes who compete in its championships and their success in the classroom, in the field of competition, and life after graduation.