St. Andrews beach volleyball scores two wins, secures spot in conference tournament

LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews Knights beach volleyball team had a successful run during a foursome of home matches March 22-23, securing three wins in four matchups.

The Lady Knights entered the weekend needing two wins to secure one of eight spots in the Sun Conference Championships on April 5-6 in Bradenton, Florida. Their last visit to the league championships was in 2022.

St. Andrews defeated St. Thomas 4-1, Florida Memorial 3-2 and Truett McConnell 3-2, and lost to Ave Maria 4-1.

With the wins, the Lady Knights moved into sixth place behind Truett McConnell with a 4-6 conference record. They were led by sophomore pair Kaleigh Morawietz and Mackenzie Fa’apouli, going undefeated on the weekend with a 4-0 record.

“I’m really proud of my players,” St. Andrews coach Tessa Smith said. “They have been working hard all year and really brought it together this weekend. We are proud to be going back to the conference tournament and will be looking to prepare and bring our best to the matches.”