SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University beach volleyball team went 2-1 on the first day of the 2026 Sunshine State Conference beach volleyball championship. The two-day six-team conference championship is being held on the Saint Leo University campus for the second straight year. The Lions opened the day with a 3-0 win over Barry before falling to the losers bracket with a 3-0 loss to Palm Beach Atlantic. The day ended on a high note for the host school as it defeated Florida Southern 3-2 to advance the second day. The win over the Mocs gave the Lions a 20-win season as Saint Leo improved to 20-6 overall. 

Saint Leo cruised to a fourth win over the Barry Buccaneers in 2026 with wins at one, two, and five. Emma Laade and Thalie Brossard won 21-8 and 21-11 to put the Lions up 1-0. Madison Moore and Anna Intagliata won 21-16 and 21-13 as the number one pair. After a close win in the first set, Abby VanBuskirk and Paige Reeves clinched the match for the Lions with a 21-11 win in the second set. 

Palm Beach Atlantic clinched a 3-0 win over the Lions in the second round with wins from the two, one, and three pairs. Saint Leo's four pair of Erin Johnson and Paula Perez Rosales managed the only set win for the Lions winning 21-14 in the first set and held a lead 20-16 in the second set. 

In it's first elimination game, Saint Leo rallied for a 3-2 win over Florida Southern to end the day. Erin Johnson and Paula Perez Rosales opened the match with a win at number four and Florida Southern tied the match at 1-1 with a win at number three. The final three courts all went the distance as three sets were needed to decide all three courts. Florida Southern took a 2-1 lead with a win from its number one pair. Paige Reeves and Abby VanBuskirk bounced back from a second set loss to tie the match at 2-2 with a 15-9 win in the third set. Saint Leo clinched the match victory thanks to a 16-14 set three win by the number two pair of Emma Laade and Thalie Brossard. 

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The Lions are back on the sand on Saturday morning taking on the Eckerd College Tritons at 11:30 a.m. in an elimination game. The winner of the match will face the loser of the Tampa vs. Palm Beach Atlantic match.