The Georgia State beach volleyball team is past the point of simply being grateful for earning a spot in the NCAA playoffs. This is the third consecutive year that the Sandy Panthers have qualified for the national tournament, and they want to come away with more than a participation trophy.
The Sandy Panthers are one of 17 teams in the field for the single-elimination tournament that begins Friday in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Georgia State (26-12) is the No. 14 seed and opens competition against No. 3-seeded Stanford (31-5) at 4 p.m. Friday. It will be shown live on ESPNU.
“The first year it’s like a novelty, and it’s very easy to get there and just be so grateful that you’re there,” GSU coach Beth Van Fleet said. “This year our goal is that, yes, we’re grateful to be there and we’re looking forward to it, but we’re also here to take care of business. That piece of it will be a lot of fun.”
Georgia State has been challenged by a difficult schedule that included two tournaments on the West Coast. They played 18 matches against nationally ranked teams, including 11 of the teams in the NCAA field, with wins over No. 11-seeded LSU and No. 13 Washington.
“We’ve been tested,” Van Fleet said. “We’ve played most of the top teams outside of (No. 1) Southern Cal. We know what it’s going to take. We obviously know we’re underdogs and we’re great as underdogs. We’re very happy going in with that chip on our shoulder and looking for ways we can make the matchups a little more favorable for our players.”
Credit: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Athletics
Credit: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Athletics
Since Georgia State did not play Stanford this season, Van Fleet and her staff have been watching film and breaking it down – just as a football coach might.
Two years ago, Georgia State beat No. 2-seeded TCU in the tournament before being eliminated, and the memory of that win still resonates with the seniors and juniors who were part of that success.
The Panthers are led by the No. 1 team of twins Angel Ferary and Bella Ferary, who went 25-13 this season. Angel became the program’s first player to win 100 matches. The other top teams are Lila Bordis and Aree Keller (28-9) at No. 2, Destiny White and freshman Savannah Ebarb (23-9) at No. 3.
The top three pairs were named first-team All-Sun Belt, and Keller, a junior transfer from South Carolina, was named newcomer of the year. Van Fleet was named Sun Belt coach of the year for the second consecutive season.
Van Fleet is a Tampa, Florida, native who, encouraged by her cousin and the vibe of the 1996 Olympics, came to Georgia State to play volleyball. After graduating in 1999, she worked a couple of years in marketing before moving to San Diego to play pro beach volleyball.
When she learned Georgia State was adding beach volleyball, Van Fleet pursued the position.
“I remember at one point saying, I’m an alum, I’m pretty sure I’m the only alum that has professional beach volleyball experience. I feel like I’m a good choice,” she said. “I said, I don’t know how to coach college, but I’ll figure it out. I’m a fast learner. Georgia State has always been a special place for me, and it’s really neat to be able to come back and build the program.”
Van Fleet has put the program on the map. The Panthers never have had a losing season. This will be their fifth appearance in the national championships; GSU qualified for the AVCA Championships in 2015 and the NCAA Tournament in 2016, 2022 and 2023.
Credit: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Athletics
Credit: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Athletics
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