Georgia State has a tough schedule that includes two tournaments on the West Coast. They played 18 games against nationally ranked teams, including 11 teams in the NCAA field, with wins over No. 11 seed LSU and No. 13 Washington.
“We've been tested,” Van Fleet said. “We've played most of the top teams outside of (No. 1) Southern California. We know what we need. We obviously know we're the underdog, and even as an underdog. It's great. We're very happy to go in with that chip on our backs and we're looking for ways to make the matchup a little more advantageous for our players.”
Credits: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Track & Field
Credits: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Track & Field
Georgia State didn't play Stanford this season, so Van Fleet and his staff have been watching and analyzing film the same way a football coach would.
Two years ago, Georgia State defeated second-seeded TCU before being eliminated from the tournament, and the memory of that victory still lingers in the minds of the seniors and juniors who contributed to that success.
The Panthers are led by the No. 1 team of twins Angel and Bella Ferrari, who have a 25-13 record this season. Angel became the first player in the program to win 100 games. Other top teams include Lila Bordis and Allie Keller (28-9) in second place and Destiny White and freshman Savannah Everb (23-9) in third place.
The top three were selected to the All-Sun Belt first team, and Keller, a junior transfer from South Carolina, was named Rookie of the Year. Van Fleet was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Van Fleet is from Tampa, Florida, and encouraged by her cousins and the atmosphere at the 1996 Olympics, she came to Georgia to play volleyball. After she graduated in 1999, she worked in marketing for several years before moving to San Diego to play professional beach volleyball.
When Van Fleet learned Georgia State was adding beach volleyball, he pursued the position.
“I remember at one point saying, I'm an alumnus, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only alumnus with professional beach volleyball experience. I feel like I'm a good choice,” she said. said. “I said, “I don't know how I'm going to coach in college, but I'll think about it.'' It’s really great to be able to build a program.”
Van Fleet popularized this program worldwide. The Panthers have never had a losing season. This is the fifth time they have participated in the national championship. GSU won the AVCA Championship in 2015 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2016, 2022 and 2023.
Credits: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Track & Field
Credits: Photo by Daniel Wilson/Georgia State Track & Field