FSU Beach Volleyball Falls to USC, Faces Elimination

It will be do or die for Florida State’s beach volleyball team when it takes the court on Sunday morning. After going 2-0 to open the NCAA Tournament on Friday, FSU fell to USC on Saturday, 3-1.

Jo Kremer and Zoe Nightingale got the day off on the right foot for the Women of Troy with a 21-14, 24-22 straight set victory over FSU’s Nikki Esposito and Hailey Luke, but FSU returned the favor with Vanessa Freire and Sierra Sanchez notching a 21-19, 24-22 win over USC’s Nicolette Martin and Allie Wheeler.

USC was able to take the match after the combinations of Abril Bustamante and Jenna Belton and Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes beat Florida State’s Katie Horton and Annie Montgomery and Julie Brown and Jace Pardon, respectively, in straight sets.

FSU was down a set, but leading 18-17 in the second set on Court 2 when USC clinched the match.

The Seminoles (31-2) will resume the tournament at 11:30 a.m. EST on Sunday against UCLA. The winner will move on to face USC in the final.