Palm Beach State claims inaugural beach volleyball national title
Tavares, FL - In the inaugural 2023 NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship, Palm Beach State defeated St. John's River State 3-0.
En route to the championship match, Palm Beach State went undefeated in the national tournament with a record of 6-0. The Panthers swept all six of their opponents 18-0. Their opponents included Bryant & Stratton (VA), Gaston, State College of Florida, South Mountain, and St. John's River State.
A good run for the Runner-ups
The battle for the national title paired two teams with the most success throughout the national tournament.
St. John's River State went into the tournament as the No.6 seed after a regular season record of 4-7-2. Three of their regular season losses were from the Palm Beach State Panthers.
The Vikings went into the national title game with four wins and only one loss from a challenge round game against Palm Beach State. Their four wins were against Trinidad State, Spartanburg Methodist, Mesa and Lake-Sumter State.
The Vikings ended their season as the first ever NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship Runner-ups.
Tournament Awards
Palm Beach State sophomores Angelina Botolino and Lola Vidamour were named the 2023 NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship Pair of the Tournament. They were undefeated throughout the entire national championship tournament.
After leading Palm Beach State to claim the inaugural NJCAA Beach Volleyball national title, Head Coach Drew Colvin was named the Coach of the Tournament. Under the leadership of Coach Colvin, the Panthers ended the season with a 24-4 record. They were also undefeated (6-0) in conference play.
The championship team also included: Alli Bryant, Ana Paula Fallas Cruz, Nina Vallesi, Mady Koons, Dena Otte, Rita Gonzalez-Cuevas Campos, Maya Suchy and Chezarina Botolino. Not a single player on the championship team lost a set during the tournament.
