What you need to know:
*GSU beach volleyball gets the 2018 Spring season underway this weekend.
*The Panthers will be in Deland, Florida for five matches over two days.
*Georgia State opens the season ranked 12th by the AVCA coaches poll.
ATLANTA- The 2018 beach volleyball season is upon us, and for No. 12 ranked Georgia State the goal is the same, to be one of the eight teams invited to the National Championship in Gulf Shores. The long road for GSU begins this weekend with five matches at the Stetson Spring Fling tournament.
Coach Beth Van Fleet is once again at the helm for the Panthers entering her fifth year as the team's head coach. Van Fleet has had to develop a cache of new players as GSU welcomed three graduate transfers and five freshmen to the roster this season.
“We fully expect all of our newcomers to see playing time for us this season”, said Van Fleet. “A few of our new players will be in the lineup and will make a big impact for us this weekend.”
Leading the nine returning Panthers is sophomore Georgia johnson who amassed a 21-8 record in her freshman season. Joining Johnson will be, Brooke Weiner, Olivia Stasevich, and Amie Held who all earned double digit victory totals last season.
The Panthers will begin play bright and early at 8:00 AM Friday, against CCSA rival and eighth ranked South Carolina. Friday afternoon will see GSU face off against tournament host Stetson at 1:30. Saturday's action features a contest against No. 4 Florida State sandwiched between matches against Eckard and Florida Atlantic.
Georgia State will be on the road for the first two weekends of the season before hosting the Day of Duals at the GSU Beach Volleyball Complex on March 6th. The Panthers will be back at home to host the two-day Diggin' Duals tournament on March 23-24. The season will culminate at the CCSA Championship Tournament in Emerson, Georgia on April 20-22, but Coach Van Fleet knows the Panthers are a long way from late April.
“Our ultimate goals are to compete for a conference and a national championship, but right now our focus is on the match in front of us, and taking each set point by point.”
For news and updates follow @GSUBeachVB on Twitter.
Weekend Schedule:
Friday-
8:00 AM, GSU vs. South Carolina
1:30 PM, GSU vs. Stetson
Saturday-
8:00 AM, GSU vs. Eckerd
11:30 AM, GSU vs. FSU
5:30 PM, GSU vs. FAU
