Leon County Alumni Having Impact on FSU Beach Volleyball Team

Two former Tallahassee high school beach volleyball players are having an impact on the top ranked FSU beach volleyball team.

On Feb. 21, the Florida State (FSU) beach volleyball team travelled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to compete in their first tournament of the year hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi over the span of two days. While at this tournament, FSU played a total of 5 matches against 5 different teams. Those teams included North Alabama (UNA), Louisiana State University (LSU), Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU), Spring Hill College (SHC) and Southern Mississippi. During the matches when they played in the top five flights for FSU, Leon County alumni Kenzie Hultquist (Florida High) and Jordan Boulware (Community Leadership Academy) helped FSU go undefeated for the tournament by not losing a match.

In the first matchup of the season against UNA on Feb. 21, Hultquist and Boulware played together in the 4th flight of the match and helped FSU go up 2-0 winning in straight sets 21-15 and 21-16. FSU finished the match beating UNA 4-1 only losing at the second flight.

Florida State’s second match against LSU was their toughest match of the tournament as the Tigers were ranked 8th in the AVCA NCAA Coaches poll. Hultquist and her partner McKenna Flaherty gave FSU their first point of the dual beating LSU’s fifth pair with sets of 21-13 and 21-19. FSU went on to win their first and second flight to beat LSU 3-2.

During the rest of the tournament, Hultquist played against FGCU with partner McKenna Flaherty winning 21-18 and 21-13 at the fifth flight and played with Madison Binkley at the fourth flight against Southern Mississippi winning 21-16 and 21-11.

Boulware played in the top five flights two more times after their win against LSU. She played at the fifth flight with partner Skylar Skrabenek beating SHC’s 5th pair in three sets with set scores 22-20, 18-21 and 15-11. Boulware also played in the final match against Southern Mississippi, winning the 4th flight with set scores of 18-21, 21-16, and 15-9 with her partner MaKenna Wolfe.