TAVARES, Fla. -- A lightning delay of over two hours couldn't halt LMU as they rebounded from a 4-1 opening loss to Spring Hill with a 3-2 upset of Florida Southern in the opening day of the AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball Championships.

Because of the delay, their last match of the day vs. Carson-Newman was moved to tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.

In the "Best of the Rest" competition, Brooke Taylor and Abby Higgins fell in both of their matches on the day, falling 21-9, 21-15 to Tampa's Nylah Demps and Caroline Pomet in their first match; and losing to Spring Hill's Landen Lake and Bentley Odom 21-17, 21-9 in the second match of the day.

After the match with Carson-Newman and the other pool play matches are finished in the morning, the teams enter the Challenge round, where they will play teams from the other pools. Teams with then advance to Sunday's Championship Round.

Spring Hill 4, LMU 1
The Sand Badgers swept flights 2,3,4, and 5 to claim the 4-1 win in the day's opening match. LMU's point came in the first flight, where Lindsey Nartker and Rylee Storms defeated SHC's Payton Gidney and Kassandra Failry in three sets for the win. They won a close 21-18 first set before falling in set two 21-13. The pair then dominated the third set, winning 15-0 according to the available stats.

The remaining flights were also hard fought. In the second spot, Danielle Ged and Danielle Stachura fell to Allison Weimer and Caroline Herrera 21-18, 21-16; while in the third flight Kai Wesemann and Sarah Jones lost to Brittany Bilotti and Sarah Senft 21-11, 21-16.

SHC's Taylor Hurst and Cassidi Sterrett won over LMU's Tone Gill and Erica Whiteaker 21-16, 21-16 in the fourth spot; and in the fifth spot Caitin Bethell and Emily Walter fell to Emmarose Neibert and Emily Greim 22-20, 21-11.

LMU 3, Florida Southern 2
The Lady Railsplitters had to wait nearly three hours for their sixth win of the season due to a long lightning delay, but in the end scored the program's first-ever post-season win with the 3-2 win over Florida Southern.

The Mocs put the first point on the board as Kayla Trefren and Kylee Whiteleather outlasted Ged and Stachura 21-14, 21-15 in the second flight.
Nartker and Storms then tied the match at 1-1 with their 10th win of the year as they cruised to the 21-18, 21-13 win over Makena Wilson and Alex Montoya in the first flight.

Soon afterward Wesemann and Jones outlasted Lee Calhoun and Kennedy Mathews 24-22, 21-17 in the three spot to put the Lady Railsplitters ahead 2-1 for the match.

In the fifth flight, Bethell and Walter lost a close 21-19 first set to Morgan Cleary and Katie Bergeron before rallying back in set two to win 21-13. They then held off the FSC duo to claim the third set 15-12 and give LMU the win.
 
Whiteaker and Gill went to three sets against Haley Goodrich and Celia Greco before falling in the fourth flight 18-21, 21-18, 15-12.