Bears Wrap Up Regular Season With Losses In Tampa

Friday, April 17

Tampa, Fla.

9 a.m.

Mercer University

#5 Florida State

Bears Wrap Up Regular Season With Losses In Tampa

4/18/2026 6:07:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

By: Kaylin Flukey, Kaylin.flukey@live.mercer.edu

TAMPA, Fla. – The Mercer beach volleyball team competed in the 2026 USF Tournament in Tampa over the weekend to close out the 2026 regular season.

Mercer opened up play with a 5-0 loss to #5 Florida State on Friday morning at 9 a.m. The Bears then returned to the sand later that morning at 11:30 a.m. to take on nationally-ranked LSU. The Tigers bested the Bears 5-0 to close out day one play for Mercer.

The Bears were back in action on Saturday to face Florida Gulf Coast at 11:30 a.m. FGCU was able to take the 5-0 win over Mercer. In the regular season finale against USF at 2 p.m., the Bears took a match from the Bulls in the 2s when the pair of Kristi Talocka and Grace Rathburn won in straight sets (21-15, 21-15). In the 3s with Madeline Lee and Hollis Engel, they went to three sets in their match but USF was able to pull out a 15-7 third-set win.

Mercer will head to the SunBelt Conference Tournament in Foley, Ala. at the Foley Event Center from April 23-25.