TAMPA, Fla., October 21, 2025 – The University of South Florida beach volleyball team made a statement in Wilmington, N.C., qualifying for the AVCA Pairs National Championship after a standout weekend at the AVCA Collegiate Pairs Tournament hosted by UNCW.
 
The Bulls competed across the Bid, Gold, and Silver divisions and tallied 24 total match wins throughout the two-day event, highlighted by a second-place finish and national qualification from the duo of Zoey Mitchell and Josephine Sek.
 
Mitchell and Sek went 4–2, opening with a three set win over College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina before falling to South Carolina. On Day 2, they swept UNCW and Coastal Carolina to advance to the final, where they again faced South Carolina. Their performance officially secured USF's qualification for the AVCA Pairs National Championship, featuring the top 50 pairs in the nation.
 
In the Bid Division, Morgan Anderson and Abigail Lagemann finished 2–3, sweeping Erskine and defeating Coastal Carolina, while Cornelia Crudu and Kate Stewart added a 1–4 mark with a Day 2 sweep of Coastal Carolina.
 
In Gold Division play, Addison Bounds and Julia Panko posted a 3–2 record, earning wins over UNCW and College of Charleston. Tereza Lajkebová and Sasha Pasloski finished 3–3, recording victories over South Carolina, College of Charleston, and UNCW.
 
In the Silver Division, three Bulls pairs closed with winning records. Ryann Genest and Ariana Medchill led the group at 4–1, collecting sweeps of College of Charleston, South Carolina, and UNCW. Isabella Almeida and Alyx Zapatka went 4–2 with a three set win over South Carolina and a sweep of UNCW, while Gabrielle Bissell and Aracelys Sanchez added a 3–2 finish with key victories over College of Charleston.
 
Across all divisions, every USF pair earned at least one win, showcasing the program's depth, growth, and consistency. Though the official spring season has yet to begin, the Bulls' early success reflects strong progress and team chemistry.
 
The national bid earned by Mitchell and Sek marks a major milestone for USF Beach Volleyball. Still in its first fall season, the qualification underscores a foundation already proving competitive at the national level. Against established Division I programs, USF has quickly demonstrated its ability to produce elite pairs with championship potential.

Up Next
USF continues its fall season at the AVCA Collegiate Beach West Qualification Tournament in Huntington Beach, California, on Oct. 25–26. The Bulls will compete for a chance to earn another national bid while facing some of the nation's top programs, including USC, UCLA, and LMU, among others.
 
About USF Beach Volleyball
The University of South Florida Beach Volleyball program is one of the newest sports at the university, bringing USF Athletics to a total of 21 teams and marking an exciting era for the Bulls. Pri Piantadosi-Lima was named South Florida's first-ever beach volleyball head coach on June 6, 2023. Coach Pri also serves as the head coach of the beach national team development program and was honored as the 2022 USA Volleyball Female Junior Coach of the Year. Before joining USF, she helped lead Eckerd College to its first AVCA national championship and two consecutive NCAA championship podium finishes. USF Beach Volleyball will join Conference USA effective July 1, 2025, and compete in exhibition-style matches until officially starting Division I competition during the 2025-2026 season. 

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