Collegiate Beach Bash: Meet the Georgia State Panthers
Collegiate Beach Bash: Meet the Georgia State Panthers
The Georgia State University beach volleyball team is one of the powerhouse programs on the East Coast. See them compete at the Collegiate Beach Bash, November 12, 2016.
The Collegiate Beach Bash is a fall exhibition college beach volleyball tournament hosted by RallyVB in Emerson, Georgia, and featuring six East Coast NCAA teams.
FloVolleyball will be live-streaming all the action from the LakePoint Sporting Community, beginning at 9 AM ET on Saturday, November 12.
Each day leading up to the first serve at LakePoint, we are profiling one of the teams that will participate in the Collegiate Beach Bash.
So far, we've brought you the lowdown on UNCW, Spring Hill, UAB, LSU, and South Carolina. In the final day before play begins, let's get to know the Georgia State Panthers.
Georgia State has been one of the powerhouse programs on the East Coast since the beginning of college beach volleyball. In the Panthers' first season, their top duo of Lane Carico and Katie Madewell made it to the semifinals of the pairs tournament at the AVCA National Championships.
Head coach Beth Van Fleet, who was named CCSA Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2016 season, started off as an assistant coach, but she quickly rose to lead the program.
Her Panthers went 26-10 in the 2016 season with seniors Jansen Button and Sara Olivova leading the way at the No. 1 spot. The GSU squad advanced all the way to the final of the CCSA conference tournament and earned a berth in the inaugural NCAA beach volleyball tournament.
With Button and Olivova's graduation, the younger players on the team will have a chance to shine in the upcoming 2017 season.
1. Brooke Weiner and Chelsea Ross
Brooke Weiner played at the No. 3 and 4 spots in her freshman season, finishing with an overall record of 23-10 and a spot on the CCSA All-Freshman squad. Chelsea Ross is a new edition to the Panthers beach program, having recently graduated from MTSU where she led the team with 512 kills in her senior year.
2. Natalie Wilson and Jessica Fourspring
Natalie Wilson paired with Weiner in 2016, going 18-10 in her junior season. Wilson will kick off the fall season by testing out a partnership with fellow senior Jessica Fourspring. Fourspring played with a variety of partners during the 2016 season, finishing the spring with a 12-10 overall record.
3. LeeAnn Starr and various
Cincinnati native LeeAnn Starr had a busy summer. The freshman played in three AVP tournaments, qualifying for the main draw in two. She and partner Katey Schroeder posted their best finished at the AVP Seattle Open where they took 13th.
4. Allie Elson and Haley Pa'akaula
Junior Allie Elson got limited playing time during the 2016 season, and she finished with an overall record of 4-1. Haley Pa'akaula comes to Georgia State after completing her indoor career at Towson University, where as a 6-foot middle/outside she became the 16th player in program history to pass 900 kills.
5. Sarah Agnew and Georgia Johnson
Sarah Agnew had a fantastic freshman season in 2014, going 17-9, including posting a victory over Pepperdine's No. 3 team of Delaney Knudsen and Caitlin Racich. Since then, however, she's struggled with injury and is only now recovered and ready to return to the sand. Her partner for the Collegiate Beach Bash will be Australian Georgia Johnson, who won a silver medal at the U19 Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships earlier this year.
6. Ashley McGinn and Katie Novack
Sophomore Ashley McGinn went 1-1 in official play in 2016 (5-4 in exhibition matches), and the New Jersey native will partner with freshman Katie Novack at the Beach Bash. Novack, a 5-9 native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was a decorated indoor player at Carroll High School.
7. Olivia Stasevich and Maddie Gordon
Freshmen Olivia Stasevich and Maddie Gordon will make their collegiate beach volleyball debuts together. Gordon, a 6-0 Texan earned a silver medal at the AAU West Coast Beach Volleyball Championships in 2015, while Georgia native Stasevich played middle and outside for her high school indoor team, earning three straight MVP honors.
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FloVolleyball will be live-streaming all the action from the LakePoint Sporting Community, beginning at 9 AM ET on Saturday, November 12.
Each day leading up to the first serve at LakePoint, we are profiling one of the teams that will participate in the Collegiate Beach Bash.
So far, we've brought you the lowdown on UNCW, Spring Hill, UAB, LSU, and South Carolina. In the final day before play begins, let's get to know the Georgia State Panthers.
Georgia State has been one of the powerhouse programs on the East Coast since the beginning of college beach volleyball. In the Panthers' first season, their top duo of Lane Carico and Katie Madewell made it to the semifinals of the pairs tournament at the AVCA National Championships.
Head coach Beth Van Fleet, who was named CCSA Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2016 season, started off as an assistant coach, but she quickly rose to lead the program.
Her Panthers went 26-10 in the 2016 season with seniors Jansen Button and Sara Olivova leading the way at the No. 1 spot. The GSU squad advanced all the way to the final of the CCSA conference tournament and earned a berth in the inaugural NCAA beach volleyball tournament.
With Button and Olivova's graduation, the younger players on the team will have a chance to shine in the upcoming 2017 season.
The Pairs
1. Brooke Weiner and Chelsea Ross
Brooke Weiner played at the No. 3 and 4 spots in her freshman season, finishing with an overall record of 23-10 and a spot on the CCSA All-Freshman squad. Chelsea Ross is a new edition to the Panthers beach program, having recently graduated from MTSU where she led the team with 512 kills in her senior year.
2. Natalie Wilson and Jessica Fourspring
Natalie Wilson paired with Weiner in 2016, going 18-10 in her junior season. Wilson will kick off the fall season by testing out a partnership with fellow senior Jessica Fourspring. Fourspring played with a variety of partners during the 2016 season, finishing the spring with a 12-10 overall record.
3. LeeAnn Starr and various
Cincinnati native LeeAnn Starr had a busy summer. The freshman played in three AVP tournaments, qualifying for the main draw in two. She and partner Katey Schroeder posted their best finished at the AVP Seattle Open where they took 13th.
4. Allie Elson and Haley Pa'akaula
Junior Allie Elson got limited playing time during the 2016 season, and she finished with an overall record of 4-1. Haley Pa'akaula comes to Georgia State after completing her indoor career at Towson University, where as a 6-foot middle/outside she became the 16th player in program history to pass 900 kills.
5. Sarah Agnew and Georgia Johnson
Sarah Agnew had a fantastic freshman season in 2014, going 17-9, including posting a victory over Pepperdine's No. 3 team of Delaney Knudsen and Caitlin Racich. Since then, however, she's struggled with injury and is only now recovered and ready to return to the sand. Her partner for the Collegiate Beach Bash will be Australian Georgia Johnson, who won a silver medal at the U19 Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships earlier this year.
6. Ashley McGinn and Katie Novack
Sophomore Ashley McGinn went 1-1 in official play in 2016 (5-4 in exhibition matches), and the New Jersey native will partner with freshman Katie Novack at the Beach Bash. Novack, a 5-9 native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was a decorated indoor player at Carroll High School.
7. Olivia Stasevich and Maddie Gordon
Freshmen Olivia Stasevich and Maddie Gordon will make their collegiate beach volleyball debuts together. Gordon, a 6-0 Texan earned a silver medal at the AAU West Coast Beach Volleyball Championships in 2015, while Georgia native Stasevich played middle and outside for her high school indoor team, earning three straight MVP honors.
Georgia State Beach Volleyball Roster
| No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. | Hometown (Prev School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haley Pa'akaula | 5-11 | Gr. | Honolulu, Hawaii (Towson University) |
| 2 | Chelsea Ross | 5-10 | Gr. | Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Middle Tennessee State) (Riverdale) |
| 3 | Georgia Johnson | 5-11 | Fr. | Brisbane, Queensland (Loreto College Coorparoo) |
| 4 | Ashley McGinn | 5-9 | So. | Sewell, N.J. (Gloucester County Institute of Technology) |
| 5 | Chloe Cook | 5-10 | Jr. | Marietta, Ga. (Walton) |
| 10 | Maddie Gordon | 6-0 | Fr. | Fort Worth, Texas (W. E. Boswell High School) |
| 11 | Kate Novack | 5-9 | Fr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. (Carroll High School) |
| 12 | Brooke Weiner | 5-11 | So. | Ventura, Calif. (Oaks Christian) |
| 13 | Sarah Agnew | 5-8 | Sr. | Coppell, Texas (Coppell) |
| 14 | Jessie Swaney | 5-7 | Jr. | McDonough, Ga. (Union Grove) |
| 15 | Delaney Rohan | 5-10 | Sr. | Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Totino-Grace) |
| 20 | Jessica Fourspring | 5-11 | Sr. | Greer, S.C. (Riverside) |
| 21 | Olivia Stasevich | 5-8 | Fr. | Royal Oak, Mich. (River Ridge High School) |
| 22 | LeeAnn Starr | 5-9 | Fr. | Cincinnati, Ohio (Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow) |
| 23 | Natalie Wilson | 5-10 | Sr. | Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata) |
| 24 | Allie Elson | 5-6 | Jr. | Woodstock, Ga. (Etowah) |
How to Watch
COLLEGIATE BEACH BASHON TV: Now available on Roku and Apple TV 4
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