Fresno State Athletics
Volleyball Participates in Sand Tournament
4/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
April 19, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - All 10 members of the Bulldog volleyball team participated in the 2010 USAV Collegiate Challenge in Santa Monica on Saturday. It was the second-straight year that head coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell took her team to the beach tournament.
The Bulldogs were paired up and placed into two divisions and then played into gold, silver, bronze and copper brackets against two-person teams from Pacific, USC and Pepperdine.
"For our players, competing in our complex sport in sand is as challenging as volleyball gets," Netherby-Sewell said. "We use the sand tournament to get our players strategizing, learning how to be more than a one-contact player, learning how to work with a partner who depends on you on every rally, communicating consistently, learning to move more efficiently and attack with pure intent since much of the power they're used to indoors is diminished. The tournament did just that. It gave our players a reality check while at the same time showing them what they are capable of since they have to figure out how to be successful on their own."
The highest finishing team of the weekend for the `Dogs came from seniors Kelly Mason and Kasey Van Grouw, who placed second in the silver division. Sophomore Marissa Brand and junior Meghan Moss also competed in the silver division and finished third, respectively.
"I was proud of most of our teams for showing steady improvement throughout the day," Netherby-Sewell added. "Playing against USC and Pepperdine was terrific as our indoor players had to adjust and make things work against more seasoned beach players. Kasey and Kelly made it to the finals in the silver division against a very savvy USC team. The final was close and impressive."
In the copper division, juniors Kelli Parker and Lauren Berger took home first. Cecilia Agraz and Brianna Clarke finished second, just falling to their teammates in the final. Baylee Platt and Taylor Horton finished third, respectively.
"Our Bulldogs had an intense workout while competing against seasoned beach players and strategizing through the outdoor elements," said Netherby-Sewell. "It was our most valuable spring tournament this year and I hope to see some great transfer into our indoor play."
The Bulldogs conclude spring play with a home tournament at the North Gym on Saturday, April 24. The tournament is free to attend and open to the public. Play begins at 10:30 a.m. but the Bulldogs will begin practice 9 a.m. Teams attending include: Fresno State, Cal Poly, Pacific, Fresno Pacific and San Francisco State.
"We Are Your Team" - Stay updated on gobulldogs.com for limited results and recaps at the conclusion of each spring volleyball tournament. For ticket information click on the icon on the top of the page.
