SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University beach volleyball extended its win streak to five matches with a pair of victories on Wednesday afternoon at the Saint Leo Beach Volleyball courts. The Lions opened the day with a 4-1 win over Florida Southern and closed the day with a 5-0 sweep of Eckerd. Saint Leo improved to 9-3 on the season.

Kayla David and Julia Panko opened the match against the Mocs with a 21-11 and 21-12 straight set victory giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. Clare Flanagan and Emma Laade split the first two sets and dominated in the third set 15-3 to give the Lions a 2-0 lead. Saint Leo's number five pair of Amanada Doherty and Brenna Reinhard clinched the match with a 21-10 and 21-19 victory for a 3-0 Saint Leo advantage. Ignacia Cortinez and Emma Miller held their opponent to just seven points in the second set putting the home team up 4-0 in the match.

The Lions swept the Tritons in the final match of the day. In the ten sets played in the final match, Saint Leo held Eckerd to single digit-points in four sets. As the number two pair, Jeanette Henderson and Aliya Fredette-Huffman posted identical 21-8 set victories to open the match. Flanagan and Laade closed out their match with a 21-5 victory in the second set giving the Lions a 2-0 lead. David and Panko won 21-11 in both sets to clinch the match for the Lions giving the home team its ninth win of the season.

SAINT LEO 4, FLORIDA SOUTHERN 1

1. Emma Winford/Ashli McKenny (FSC) def. Aliya Fredette-Huffman/Jeanette Henderson (SLU) 19-21, 21-19, 15-11
2. Kayla David/Julia Panko (SLU) def. Sarah Crocker/Reagan Carlton (FSC) 21-11, 21-12
3. Ignacia Cortinez/Emma Miller (SLU) def. Hayley St. Martin/Mary Olivia Muti (FSC) 21-13, 21-7
4. Clare Flanagan/Emma Laade (SLU) def. Christina Ramazio/ Sydney Melcher (FSC) 21-16, 18-21, 15-3
5. Amanda Doherty/Brenna Reinhard (SLU) def. Hailey Carefoot/Jackie Schner (FSC) 21-10, 21-19
   EXH: Erin Johnson/Emma Miller (SLU) def. Chloe Maxwell/Maddie Sanders (FSC) 21-19, 21-9

SAINT LEO 5, ECKERD 0

1. Kayla David/Julia Panko (SLU) def. Madison Hardbarger/Anna Jupin (EC) 21-11, 21-11
2. Aliya Fredette-Huffman/Jeanette Henderson (SLU) def. Addie White/Bekah Overley (EC) 21-8, 21-8
3. Ignacia Cortinez/Emma Miller (SLU) def. Elissa Johnson/Melanie Silva (EC) 21-8, 21-16
4. Emma Laade/Clare Flanagan (SLU) def. Jocelyn Escoffery/Jessi Meghreblian (EC) 21-17, 21-5
5. Amanda Doherty/Daria Kowalik (SLU) def. Teagan VanderMey/Rachel Jackson (EC) 21-14, 21-17
   EXH: Brenna Reinhard/Caitlyn Kemer (SLU) def. Faith Smith/Melana Moore (EC) 21-9, 21-14

UP NEXT
Saint Leo heads to Tampa next weekend for the Tampa Tournament (March 29-30). The Lions are set for four matches, two against the host Tampa (March 29 & 30), Florida Southern (March 29), and Palm Beach Atlantic (March 30).