JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Beach Volleyball's
Katie Martinez and
Maddie Fiedler have been named the ASUN Pair of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday. The honor marks the first time a Dolphin duo has earned the weekly award since 2015, and the first under Head Coach
Dylan Hough.
Martinez and Fiedler posted a perfect 4-0 record at the No. 5 flight during the UNF Invitational, helping Jacksonville extend its program-record winning streak and secure multiple team victories over the weekend.
The duo opened the tournament with a three-set comeback victory over Florida International's Wade and Vildere, 17-21, 25-23, 15-11. They followed with a dominant straight-set win against Eastern Kentucky's Knack and Ferguson, 21-8, 21-13.
On Saturday, Martinez and Fiedler continued their strong play with a convincing 21-17, 21-8 win over Mercer's Peck and Sayler before closing the weekend with Jacksonville's lone point against No. 17 North Florida, defeating Villalon and Bunch in straight sets, 21-15, 21-19.
The pair accounted for two match-clinching points for the Dolphins and finished the weekend as the team's only undefeated duo.
Martinez and Fiedler's performance helped highlight Jacksonville's most successful stretch in program history, as the Dolphins extended their winning streak to six matches during the tournament.
Eleven years marks the last time Jacksonville won an ASUN pair of the week, and this is the first installment under
Dylan Hough's tenure at Jacksonville (2021-present). Sammie Strausbaugh and Kelly Koop were the last tandem to win in 2015, after they posted a perfect weekend to help the Dolphins secure the No. 2 seed in the ASUN tournament.
Also nominated was -
Molly Shomock/Riley Cutler, EKU; Presley Murray/Sophia Notaro, North Florida; and Anniina Muukka/Zoe Flueckiger, Stetson. Click here for the ASUN's full release.
Jacksonville Beach will return to action this weekend in Columbia, South Carolina for the Carolina Challenge. First set kicks off at 9 a.m. est against the UNCW Seahawks.