Florida State Beach Volleyball opened its season strong at the Unconquered Invitational, setting the tone early on its home sand. Ranked No. 8 in the AVCA preseason poll, the Seminoles wasted no time proving why they are one of the best.
Packed Opening Weekend Schedule
The Noles entered the weekend scheduled for six duals over three days. They opened Friday against UAB, Cal State Bakersfield, and Georgia State, continued Saturday against North Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana, and closed out match play Sunday against Southeastern Louisiana. Florida State came in heavily favored against the competition, including a 19–1 all-time record against Georgia State, the only program in the tournament to ever hand the Seminoles a loss.
Favored, and Proven Right
There was no sign of an upset on day one, as Florida State delivered three sweeps on Friday and followed with similar performances on Saturday and Sunday. While it may simply go down as six straight wins on paper, the consistency and attention to detail required to secure 35 total dual points over three days is more impressive than it seems. In all, 16 Seminoles walked away from the tournament with at least one win, a testament to the depth and balance throughout Florida State’s lineup.
Up Next
The Noles head into next weekend’s competition with a 6-0 record and no sign of slowing down. Back at home, Florida State will compete in a shorter slate of three matches, but the level of competition rises. The Seminoles are set to face No. 17 North Florida and No. 15 FAU before closing out the weekend against UNC Wilmington at the Seminole Beach Bash.