LAKELAND, Fla. – The Warner University beach volleyball team kicked off the 2025 season with a split result at the Judy and Joe P. Ruthven Beach Volleyball Courts, falling 4-1 to Florida Southern before bouncing back with a 4-1 victory over Polk State College.
In their opening match, the Royals (0-1) faced a strong Florida Southern (1-0) squad. Despite a dominant performance from
Ashlyn Fassnacht and Leah Cooley, who secured Warner's lone win at the No. 1 pair (21-19, 21-12), the Royals were unable to overcome the Mocs, dropping the remaining pairs in straight sets.
Warner responded in the afternoon matchup, earning a decisive
4-1 win over Polk State College (0-1) to even their record at 1-1.
Fassnacht and
Cooley continued their stellar play, cruising to a
21-4, 21-6 victory. The Royals also picked up wins at the No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 pairs, with
Payton Harsch and
Julliana Abbade rallying to take a three-set victory (15-21, 21-15, 15-10).
Warner will look to build on this momentum as they continue their season next week.
Match Results
Florida Southern 4, Warner 1
- Pair 1: Fassnacht/Cooley (WU) def. Winford/McKenny (FSC) – 21-19, 21-12
- Pair 2: Carefoot/Carlton (FSC) def. McDermott/Alfar (WU) – 21-10, 21-8
- Pair 3: Melcher/Eden (FSC) def. Suarez/Rodriguez (WU) – 21-7, 21-11
- Pair 4: St. Martin/Muti (FSC) def. Jimenez/Coggins (WU) – 21-17, 21-15
- Pair 5: Ramazio/Lowe (FSC) def. Harsch/Abbade (WU) – 21-15, 22-20
Warner 4, Polk State College 1
- Pair 1: Fassnacht/Cooley (WU) def. Dos Santos Correa/Torres (POLK) – 21-4, 21-6
- Pair 2: McDermott/Alfar (WU) def. Guner/Beatriz (POLK) – 21-14, 21-12
- Pair 3: Ramos/Pedrosa (POLK) def. Suarez/Rodriguez (WU) – 22-20, 21-19
- Pair 4: Jimenez/Coggins (WU) def. Rios-Tajadillo/Lopez (POLK) – 18-21, 21-15, 15-8
- Pair 5: Harsch/Abbade (WU) def. Sanchez/Ortiz (POLK) – 15-21, 21-15, 15-10
Stay tuned for more updates as the Royals continue their 2025 season! Their next match will be against Palm Beach Atlantic University, on February 15.
