Beach Volleyball | 3/6/2024 8:53:00 PM

AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University beach volleyball team took on one of the top junior college beach volleyball programs in the nation on Monday, hosting the Panthers of Palm Beach State College at the Suppa Malec Beach Complex. Palm Beach State claimed a 5-0 victory over the Gyrenes, with four of the five matches ending in straight sets.

Palm Beach State swept four of the five matches, with the closest match coming at the fourth flight. In that matchup, the Gyrene duo of Ryan Getz and DeAnna Barrett forced a third set, winning the second set 21-19 after a 21-13 defeat in the first. However, the Panther pair of Sophia Soderberg/Ava Bowman earned a narrow decision in the third set, winning 15-12 to take the match.

Ave Maria returns to Sun Conference play next weekend, with games against St. Thomas and Florida Memorial in Miami Gardens. If the Gyrenes sweep the weekend, it would set Ave Maria up with a chance to clinch the Sun Conference regular season championship the following weekend against Truett McConnell and St. Andrews in North Carolina. After starting 5-0 in SUN play, the Gyrenes checked in at No. 9 in the newest edition of the NAIA Coaches' Poll.