Twelve girls made history on March 12.
It wasn’t made in the classrooms, the urban streets or skyscrapers that dot Atlanta’s skyline. It was done amongst the tropical palm trees and sand of the GSU Sand Volleyball Complex.
The inaugural home match for the Georgia State sand volleyball team resulted in an emotional 3-2 victory over the Mercer Bears.
Mike Eden | THE SIGNAL
The first set of matches featured the No. 4 and No. 5 teams.
Karlee Kavanaugh and Alexis Elmurr, the No. 4 team for the Panthers, were defeated in straight sets, 24-22, 21-17.
“We played our game,” Kavanaugh said after her match. “The difference was their short shots. They burned us on that.”
The No. 5 duo of Kaitlynn Hufstetler and Nikki Senopoulos were also defeated in the first sessions of matches, 21-16, 21-12.
Although the Panthers were down 0-2, the spirit in both the team and the crowd did not diminish one bit, heading into the final set of matches.
When the Panthers’ No.1 team Lane Carico and Katie Madewell took the sand, things started to turn around for Georgia State. The duo defeated Mercer’s No. 1 team, Madison Petsos and Zoe Becton, in straight sets.
After sneaking by 21-16 in the first set, the second set easily belonged to the Georgia State pair.
Mike Eden | THE SIGNAL
Carico’s hard, ruthless serves along with Madewell’s thunderous spikes allowed them to breeze through the second set, 21-4.
“Our biggest thing is coming in without underestimating any our opponents,” Carico said.
The victory pushed Carico and Madewell’s record to 4-0 on the season.
The No. 2 team of Sara Olivova and Jansen Button had a grueling match filled with long rallies and great winners.
Eventually, they were able to defeat their opponents 21-16, 21-14. It was Olivova and Button’s victory that secured Georgia State’s victory.
Milani Pickering and Katelyn Rawls also won in straight sets, 22-20, 21-7.
“We executed the game plan,” head coach Tami Audia said after the victory. “Even though we had a couple matches we didn’t win, those matches were really close. We came out with wins in front of this awesome crowd. . . I just couldn’t be more happy for them.”
Party in the stands
The awesome crowd Audia was referring to was large and spirited. Fans, students, faculty and alumni crowded into the new venue located behind the GSU Sports Arena to watch the Panthers play at home for the first time.
Wall-to-wall fans of all ages filed around the three courts taking in the novel scene.
“The support that we’ve had from the student body has been absolutely outstanding,” Audia said.
The players also took notice and were excited by the crowd that had come to support them.
A group of students clustered behind court three sat in fold-out chairs, cheering on the Panthers and letting Mercer know they were in Georgia State territory.
“I love the crowd energy,” Kavanaugh said. “I heard everyone the whole time and it pumped me up. It definitely helped us.”
The team will have one more chance to impress their home fans this season during the Georgia State Sand Invitational on April 6 and 7.
