Day One: Dolphins Sweep Emmanuel, Take Losses to Mercer and UNCW
JACKSONVILLE, Fla--Jacksonville Beach Volleyball participated in the Mercer Invitational at Bear Beach in Macon, Georgia, where they kicked off the day with a decisive 5-0 victory over Emmanuel College before facing challenges from Mercer and UNC Wilmington.
In their opening match against Emmanuel, JU displayed excellent teamwork and control, winning every match in straight sets. Emily Kubicsko and Claire Mrukowski led the charge at No. 1, defeating Ellie Jackson and Izabela Zukowska 21-11, 21-16. At No. 2, Morgan Perry and Katie Martinez dominated with a 21-5, 21-19 win over Leah Van Wyngarden and Kaleigh Morawietz. Kristina Nika and Hayden Garnett followed suit at No. 3 with a 21-8, 21-12 victory, while Kelly Erhard and Kate Taylor claimed their win at No. 4, 21-9, 21-18. The final point for the Dolphins came from Miller Reames and Kyelynn Swink at No. 5, winning 21-14, 21-12.
The Dolphins then faced a challenging matchup against Mercer, losing 4-1. Kubicsko and Mrukowski were the lone pair to secure a win, defeating Lexi Polychrones and Hollis Engel 21-13, 23-21. However, JU struggled in the other matches, with tight losses in multiple sets. Nika and Garnett battled Liv Diaz and Jordan Paddock but ultimately fell 21-14, 21-18. At No. 3, Kate Taylor and Miller Reames pushed Mercer's Kathryn Corbett and Nicole O'Mara to a 21-15, 21-19 finish, but couldn't come out on top. The Dolphins' remaining matches were similarly competitive, but JU dropped all of them to Mercer's skilled lineup.
In the final match of Day 1, JU faced UNC Wilmington, ranked in the top tier of the conference, and despite some strong efforts, were narrowly defeated 3-2. The highlight of the match was a victory by Nika and Garnett at No. 3, who triumphed in three sets (26-24, 12-21, 21-19). Reames and Taylor also claimed a win at No. 4, defeating Maddy Folks and Hannah Forbes 21-13, 21-15. The Dolphins, however, couldn't overcome UNC Wilmington's top pairs, with Kubicsko and Mrukowski falling to Gabby LaPata and Sarah Thompson in straight sets (21-14, 21-12), and Perry and Martinez losing 21-12, 21-12 to Lyvia Trimp and Gracie Sistrunk.
Day Two: JU Earns Another Sweep but Drops Two Close Matches
The following day, March 22, 2025, brought more action for JU Beach Volleyball. The Dolphins came out strong in their first match, defeating Emmanuel College 5-0 for the second time in two days. Kubicsko and Mrukowski again dominated at No. 1, winning 21-15, 21-14 over Ellie Jackson and Izabela Zukowska. Nika and Garnett followed at No. 2 with a 21-10, 21-10 victory over Izabel Miller and Kaleigh Morawietz. The other pairs continued their winning streaks, with Caitlin Cabrales and Kyelynn Swink prevailing at No. 3 (21-13, 21-16) and Colleen Ziegelmaier and Reames winning 21-13, 21-12 at No. 4. Erhard and Cunningham rounded out the sweep with a 21-11, 21-14 victory at No. 5.
The Dolphins' momentum was briefly halted in their next matchup against Mercer. Unfortunately, they were swept 5-0, with all five matches going in favor of Mercer. Kubicsko and Mrukowski fought hard but fell 21-15, 21-19 to Hollis Engel and Lexi Polychrones. Nika and Garnett, as well as Taylor and Reames, had competitive sets but couldn't clinch wins. Perry and Martinez, Erhard and Taylor, and Cunningham and Reames also struggled against Mercer's tough competition.
The final match of Day 2 saw JU face off against UNC Wilmington again. Despite a valiant effort, the Dolphins were narrowly edged out 3-2. The standout performances of the day came from Nika and Garnett at No. 3, who won in three sets (26-24, 12-21, 21-19), and Reames and Taylor, who defeated Folks and Forbes 21-13, 21-15. However, the remaining matches went to UNC Wilmington, as Kubicsko and Mrukowski were defeated in straight sets, and Perry and Martinez lost similarly at No. 2. Despite these losses, the team showed growth and resilience throughout the weekend.
