Cleveland, Ga. – The Warner University beach volleyball team delivered a strong performance at the Sun Conference Central vs. Northeast event, hosted by Truett McConnell University. Over two days of competition, the Royals secured three key victories against Brenau University, St. Andrews University, and Spartanburg Methodist College, while battling hard in a tough loss to host Truett McConnell.

Warner opened the event with a 5-0 forfeit victory over Brenau University, giving them a solid start to conference play. Later that day, the Royals faced a tough Truett McConnell squad, where Pair 1, Leah Cooley and Ashlyn Fassnacht, secured Warner's only win in a thrilling three-set match (18-21, 21-18, 15-11). Pair 2, Karla Rodriguez and Julia De Jesus, nearly pulled off a comeback victory, dominating the first set 21-11 before TMU responded. In a tense third set, the Royals fought until the end but fell just short in a 10-15 loss.

Warner bounced back on Day 2 with a dominant 5-0 sweep over St. Andrews University. The Royals controlled the match from start to finish, with Pair 5, Harsch and Abbade, rallying to a three-set win (14-21, 21-15, 15-4). The Royals closed out the weekend with a 4-1 victory over Spartanburg Methodist College, securing their third win of the tournament. Pair 4, Jimenez and Coggins, showed great resilience in their straight-set victory, leading Warner with a 21-5, 21-11 win over SMC. Pair 3, McDermott and Alfar, led the charge with a dominant (21-3, 21-10) performance, showing Warner's depth and strength across all pairings.

Exhibition Pair 6, Natasha Lange and Rylee Waldie, went undefeated in all their matches throughout the event, adding to Warner's impressive performance. Their consistency and teamwork helped set the tone for the Royals' success on the sand.

Despite the loss to Truett McConnell, the Royals showcased resilience, teamwork, and determination throughout the event. They will look to build on this momentum as they continue Sun Conference play.

Match Results

February 27

Warner 5, Brenau 0 (Forfeit)

Truett McConnell 4, Warner 1
• Pair 1: Fassnacht/Cooley (WU) def. Roberts/Boland (TMU) – 18-21, 21-18, 15-11
• Pair 2: Valmus/Lulinski (TMU) def. Rodriguez/DeJesus (WU) – 11-21, 21-13, 10-15
• Pair 3: McFarland/Franklin (TMU) def. McDermott/Alfar (WU) – 14-21, 18-21
• Pair 4: Godfrey/Kessler (TMU) def. Jimenez/Coggins (WU) – 16-21, 15-21
• Pair 5: Marquez/Boggs (TMU) def. Harsch/Abbade (WU) – 12-21, 22-24

February 28

Warner 5, St. Andrews 0
• Pair 1: Fassnacht/Cooley (WU) def. Pellitier/McKinney (SAU) – 21-13, 22-20
• Pair 2: Rodriguez/DeJesus (WU) def. Fa'apouli/Klouzek (SAU) – 21-18, 21-16
• Pair 3: McDermott/Alfar (WU) def. Hinchliffe/McKinney (SAU) – 21-13, 21-16
• Pair 4: Jimenez/Coggins (WU) def. Wensink/Barger (SAU) – 21-8, 21-12
• Pair 5: Harsch/Abbade (WU) def. Clayton/Didonna (SAU) – 14-21, 21-15, 15-4

Warner 4, Spartanburg Methodist 1
• Pair 1: Fassnacht/Cooley (WU) def. Price/Vucinic (SMC) – 21-18, 21-19
• Pair 2: Rodriguez/DeJesus (WU) def. Campbell/James (SMC) – 21-14, 21-11
• Pair 3: McDermott/Alfar (WU) def. Bradshaw/VanAernem (SMC) – 21-3, 21-10
• Pair 4: Jimenez/Coggins (WU) def. Noe/Beck (SMC) – 21-5, 21-11
• Pair 5: Craine/Anderson (SMC) def. Harsch/Abbade (WU) – 19-21, 20-22

Next Up: The Royals return to action on March 8th as they continue their season.