What you need to know:
* Georgia State opens the season at the Burrow Beach Bach in Boca Raton, Fla.
* GSU will play North Florida, Webber and CCSA-foe FAU on Saturday.
* GSU hosts Mercer Wednesday, March 9 at 5 p.m. at the GSU Sports Complex.
ATLANTA – Coming off an appearance at the AVCA National Championships last season, Georgia State's eighth-ranked beach volleyball team opens the 2016 season with three matches Saturday in Boca Raton, Fla., at the Burrow Beach Bash.
The Panthers will take on North Florida at 9 a.m. Saturday before facing Webber at 11 a.m. and the host FAU Owls at 3 p.m. Georgia State and FAU are both inaugural members of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association which will host its postseason tournament at Lakepoint Sports Complex just north of Atlanta.
Georgia State opens the season ranked No. 8 in the country by both the AVCA and DiG Magazine. The Panthers went 18-3 in 2015 and earned a six-seed at the national championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. Now entering its fourth season of competition, GSU owns an all-time record of 40-17. Head coach Beth Van Fleet, in her third season, is 32-8.
GSU is a combined 7-0 against North Florida and FAU, including 5-0 sweeps against each team last season. Saturday will mark the first meeting between the Panthers and Webber.
Seniors Jansen Button and Sara Olivova were named to the CCSA Preseason All-Conference team last week as the pair earned All-America honors in 2015. The duo has 58 wins, making them the winningest pair in school history. Fellow senior Kate Rawls was named to the preseason All-CCSA Watch List as she looks to continue an already impressive career as a Panthers after tallying a 25-11 mark last season. In all, GSU returns nine players that competed in at least half of the competitions in 2015.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSUBeachVB) for the latest news.
