HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – FIU beach volleyball's Brianna Luoma and Katarina Drozd advance to the second round of the 2025 AVCA Beach National Championships, beating Pepperdine before falling to Cal Poly.
The No. 32 ranked pair in the 64-team tournament, sophomore Brianna Luoma and junior Katarina Drozd continued their great 2025 season into the fall campaign. Luoma and Drozd, going 19-10 together last season and both earning honors on the 2025 All-CUSA First Team, were selected by head coach Lauren DeTurk to represent FIU at the event.
In the first round of the tournament, the Panthers matched up against No. 33 Pepperdine's pair. The match proved to be a close back-and-forth battle, with FIU winning the first set, 21-19, before dropping a close second set, and bouncing back in set three, 16-14, and advancing to round two of the tournament.
No. 32 Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma Def. No. 33 Emma Eden/Madison Snow (2-1) - 21-19, 27-29, 16-14
In the second round of the tournament, the Panthers duo matched up against the No. 1 pair in the entire tournament in Cal Poly. FIU fell in straight sets, sending them to the consolation bracket.
No. 1 Ella Connor/Erin Inskeep Def. No. 32 Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma (2-0) - 21-15, 21-11
Luoma and Drozd went on to take part in the 17th place consolation bracket where as the No. 16 team in the new bracket, the pair took down No. 1 Texas in straight sets, both of which coming in 21-19 victories for the Panthers.
No. 16 Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma Def. Chloe Charles/Emma Grace Robertson (2-0) - 21-19, 21-19
The pair dropped their next two matches, first against the No. 9 pair in the 17th place consolation bracket in Washington, 2-0. The loss sent Drozd and Luoma to the 21st place consolation bracket where they were the No. 4 seed, dropping their match to No. 1 USC, 2-1.
No. 9 Teila Allen/Emma Hohenauer Def. No. 16 Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma (2-0) - 21-14, 21-19
No. 1 Quincy Stephens/Kyra Zaengle Def. No. 4 Katarina Drozd/Brianna Luoma (2-1) - 23-21, 15-21, 15-11
Drozd and Luoma will play No. 2 Arizona State to secure third place in the 21st place consolation bracket, with a winner still yet to be determined.
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