HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Missouri State beach volleyball team concluded its season at the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Tournament where the Bears fell to LSU and College of Charleston here Friday, both by the scores of 4-1.  
  
"The CCSA put on a great tournament," head coach Russ Friedland said. "We had no idea really what to expec,t but the venue, staff and atmosphere were great." 
  
In the morning match against LSU, the Tigers gained the early advantage as Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope and Grace Seits defeated Kylee Davis and Parker McAllen, 21-12 and 21-6. In the No. 5 match, Brooke Plessner and Gala Galabova fell to LSU's Olivia Ordonez and Kahlee York, 21-11, 21-4. LSU then clinched the dual in the No. 4 position when Jess Lansman and Sydney Moore swept Pamela Jaime and Tory Penick (21-13, 21-11). LSU's Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss improved to 28-0 on the season by defeating Tylar Garett and Chloe Filipski in the No. 1 match (21-6, 21-10). The Bears ended the match on a positive note as Grace Cook and Chloe Tome got Missouri State on the board with a huge win over the Tiger's Claire Coppola and Kellie Greene-Agnew (21-5, 21-19) as the No. 2 pair. 
 
"LSU is so strong top to bottom," Friedland acknowledged. "Chloe and Grace came out locked in from the first whistle and earned a statement win at the 2's. That's their second big win of the year over a ranked opponent. That's huge for us." 
  
Missouri State closed out the invitational with a 4-1 setback to the College of Charleston. The Cougars got an early 2-0 lead by taking both the No. 1 and 3 matches. In the No. 3 match, Cook and Tome fell in a hard-fought three-set battle to the Cougars' Logan Manusky and Ella Ridinger (19-21, 21-19, 12-15). In the No. 5 match C of C's Amani Dunston and Emma Falk defeated Plessner and Galabova, 21-8 and 21-16. MSU grabbed a win in the No. 4 match courtesy of Jaime and Penick defeating Kyra Thompson and Marie Martinsen of the College of Charleston, 21-18, 21-17. 
 
"The afternoon match was a tough one," Friedland added. "I felt like we had a good game plan going into the Charleston match but weren't really able to find our rhythm. Tory and Pam played about as well as they have all year so I'm happy to see them come away with the win at the 4's." 
   
Missouri State closes the book on a 2021 campaign that saw the Bears go 7-8 overall, make their first postseason appearance and earn wins in four of their first five contests. 
 
"This was a crazy season," Friedland reflected. "A lot of uncertainty but we made it through. This team will be in the program history books as the first to compete in a postseason event. Now we know what it is like to be here and can be even more prepared next year. I'm proud of this team for their sacrifices and hard work this season." 
  
Results  
LSU 4, MSU 1 
1.Kloth/Nuss (LSU) def. Garrett/Filipski (MSU): 21-6, 21-10 
2.Cook/Tome (MSU) def. Coppola/Greene-Agnew (LSU): 21-5, 21-19 
3.Seits/Rasnick-Pope (LSU) def. Davis/McAllen (MSU): 21-12, 21-6 
4.Lansman/Moore (LSU) def. Jaime/Penick (MSU): 21-13, 21-11 
5.Ordonez/York (LSU) def. Plessner/Galabova (MSU): 21-11, 21-4 
   
C of C 4, MSU 1 
1.Benjamin/Clariu (CofC) def. Garrett/Filipski (MSU): 21-13, 21-16 
2.Manusky/Ridinger (CofC) def. Cook/Tome (MSU): 21-19, 19-21, 15-12 
3.Zweig/Reims (CofC) def. Davis/McAllen (MSU): 21-13, 21-10 
4. Jaime/Penick (MSU) def. Thompson/Martinsen (CofC): 21-18, 21-17 
5. Dunston/Falk (CofC) def. Plessner/Galabova (MSU): 21-8, 21-16