Montgomery, Ala. - The College of Coastal Georgia women's volleyball team finished out pool play Friday in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament with a perfect 3-0 record after wins over Loyola and Brenau.
The No. 23 Mariners (32-1) knocked off Loyola 3-0 on Friday afternoon in its second pool match before also toppling Brenau by 3-0 as well to remain unbeaten against SSAC opponents this season.
The Mariners, who won Pool A, are now set to face Faulkner, the second team from Pool B, in the tournament semifinals at noon on Saturday. The other semifinal pits Pool B winner Mobile against Pool A runner-up Dalton State. That match is also set for noon on Saturday.
The semifinal winners will meet at 6 p.m. for the conference tournament crown with the champion also earning the SSAC's automatic bid to the national tournament.
This marks the third straight season that the Mariners have reached the conference semifinals. Last year, they lost a tough 3-2 decision to Mobile to miss playing for the conference title.
Both Coastal Georgia and Mobile, the preseason co-favorites for the SSAC title and the top two teams in the league during the regular season, won all three pool matches while Faulkner and Dalton State both finished 2-1.
Coastal Georgia owns three wins this season over Faulkner, which is located in Montgomery and will have the home crowd on its side in the semifinal matchup. The Eagles battled back from a 2-0 deficit to win in five sets Friday over Bethel and also forced Mobile to five sets after dropping the opening two sets in their match to decide the Pool A winner.
The Mariners topped Loyola 25-16, 25-20, 25-14 before besting Brenau 25-12, 25-23, 25-11 to round out pool action.
Against the Wolfpack, Emma Anderson led the Mariners with 10 kills and hit. 387 with two blocks. Allie Shannon added nine kills while hitting .400 and also recording two blocks.
Kara Neisen had eight kills and eight digs for Coastal Georgia. Amanda Kline contributed six kills.
Cayley Meiners, this year's SSAC Player of the Year, recorded 37 assists in the win.
Jennifer Johnson had 13 digs and three aces.
Against the Tigers, Shannon led the team with 10 kills, Anderson added 9 while Kline and Rachel Amundson finished with seven each.
Meiners registered 37 assists again. Johnson again led the defense with 14 digs. Meiners, Kline, Anderson and Amundson all solo blocks for the Mariners.
Josie Corbett had three assists while Anderson had two.
