MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Montevallo Falcons Volleyball team traded in their gym shoes for some sand socks to travel to Huntingdon College to compete in a Beach Volleyball match-up with the Huntingdon Hawks. The NCAA began hosting Women's Beach Volleyball Championship in 2016, but Sunday was the first Beach Volleyball event for the Falcons (who do not have a designated Beach Volleyball team) since 2012.
However, due to COVID, head coach
Katie O'Brien found a way to schedule an opportunity for the Falcons to compete in a unique way. "We really want to play volleyball this spring and did not wish to have a whole week off. Not knowing how the season would progress, we scheduled a Beach Volleyball event that is a lower risk because it's played outdoors," she said. "Sand volleyball skills can translate well to indoor volleyball. Today also provided many of our players' first experience playing sand volleyball, something we hope they continue during the summer or after their college careers."
The Falcons brought five pairs of athletes to the event. Each of Montevallo's pairs competed in two matches, first against a pair from the Huntingdon JV team, and then against a pair from the Varsity team. While the Falcons were scheduled to compete against Hendrix College in the first match-up, the Warriors had to depart the event early to try to beat the incoming inclement weather, so five pairs from the Hawks' JV team were able to step in at late notice. The Falcons earned a 4-1 victory over the JV Hawks before sweeping the Varsity Hawks 5-0, with several tight matches going the maximum three sets.
Skyler Sieber, a libero for the Falcons on the hardcourt, said of the experience: "I really enjoyed getting to play another version of volleyball that I could potentially play more of in the future. It was really fun to just get out there and work through each obstacle as it came. It also gave us a new perspective of the sport we love. It's definitely very different from my role when playing indoor, but if I got another chance, I would 100% play beach again." Sieber went 2-0 on the afternoon with her partner,
Allie Dishman.
UP NEXT: The Falcons return to the gymnasium this week with a home exhibition against Birmingham-Southern College on Thursday at Trustmark Arena.
Match Results
Montevallo def. Huntingdon JV, 4-1
Montevallo def. Huntingdon, 5-0
- Isabelle Fuell/Evelina Teran (UM) def. Amy Tyma/Audrey Horsley (HC) 21-16, 21-18
- Allie Dishman/Skyler Sieber (UM) def. Morgan Ilsley/Lauren Hinton (HC) 21-18, 22-20
- Amanda Nugent/Megan Schram (UM) def. Cadie Shirley/Jessica Brunk (HC) 10-21, 21-15, 17-15
- Casey Hendrixson/Jillian Morgan (UM) def. Josie Hester/Jordan Hollis (HC) 22-20, 21-16
- Morgan Hoffman/Sydney Smith (UM) def. ZaKira Landrum/Ashanti Thomas (HC) 21-15, 13-21, 17-15
