Beach Bears End Season With Win Against ULM, Fall To UNCW

Thursday, April 23

Foley, Ala.

11:45 a.m.

Mercer University

Georgia State

Beach Bears End Season With Win Against ULM, Fall To UNCW

4/24/2026 6:55:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

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

FOLEY, Ala. – The Mercer beach volleyball team went 1-2 during their time at the Sun Belt Beach Volleyball Championship in Foley, Ala. on April 23-24 to close the curtains on the 2026 season.

The Bears opened up play against #2 Georgia State on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. falling to the Panthers 5-0. The no. 3 and no. 5 pairs went to three sets but Georgia State was able to pull away and gain momentum at the right time to send Mercer to the elimination round.

Mercer faced Louisiana Monroe in the first elimination game at 11 a.m. on Friday in Foley. The no. 3 tandem of Maddie Lee and Hollis Engel took a quick 21-14 and 21-13 victory in their match. Partners Kristi Talocka and Grace Rathburn took their match in the no. 2 slot after losing the second set and coming back to win the third 16-14. It all came down to Carly Lenhardt and Finley Kenney in the no. 5 pair who lost the first set 21-12, came back to win the second set 21-18 and pulled out a nail-biting win 15-13 in the third set to extend Mercer's season.

The Bears returned to the sand on Friday afternoon to take on UNC Wilmington in the second elimination game at 2:30 p.m. The Seahawks were able to take down the Bears 5-0 to put a close to Mercer's time in Foley and the overall season.