FOLEY, Ala. – The 2023 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Championship matchup was finalized as the top two seeds in the east, Coastal Carolina and James Madison, earned victories in the Semifinals on Saturday at the Foley Events Center.
 
Regular Season Champion and number one seed from the east Coastal Carolina will face number two seed in the east James Madison in the title tilt, set for 3 p.m. CT at the Foley Events Center. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+. 
 
Tickets to Sunday’s finale may be purchased in advance online through the Foley Sports Tourism Box Office. Tickets are sold on a daily basis and are $10 per day for adults and $5 per day for children ages 12 and under. Students of Sun Belt Conference institutions are admitted free with a valid student ID.
 
Match 11: (1E) Coastal Carolina 3, (2W) South Alabama 1 | Box Score | Photo Gallery
 
Coastal Carolina freshman Jalyn Stout led the Chanticleers with her NCAA-leading 13th triple-double of the year with 19 assists, 15 kills and 14 digs. Sun Belt Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year Jasmine Rivest totaled her second double-double in as many matches at the tournament with 11 kills and 12 digs.
 
The Chanticleers (21-9) advanced to their first Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Championship since 2020 by winning 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-16) over South Alabama. Coastal Carolina will match up with fellow Sun Belt East Division member James Madison in Sunday’s Championship. Opening serve is set for 3:00 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
South Alabama (22-8) was led by a career performance from senior Hannah Maddux who totaled 25 kills on a Sun Belt Tournament Record Southern 79 attempts for a four set match. Sun Belt Setter of the Year Kailey Keeble tallied 41 assists with 12 digs for the double-double.

Match 12: (2E) James Madison 3, (1W) Texas State 2 | Box Score | Photo Gallery
 
James Madison returns to its second consecutive Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Title match as Sophie Davis tallied a career-high 23 kills in the win over Texas State, 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-22, 15-10).
 
The Dukes (21-8) improved to 3-0 over Texas State on the year in a rematch of last year’s Sun Belt Tournament Championship to advance to the finals. James Madison will face a familiar foe from the Sun Belt East division in Coastal Carolina at the Foley Events Center with first serve scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
In an anticipated rematch, the final semifinal match did not disappoint. Both teams went virtually point-for-point for all five sets as Texas State (20-9) won the opening set 25-21. The Bobcats led 12-10 in the second set before an 8-2 run from James Madison put the Dukes ahead 18-14. Miëtte Veldman, who finished the match with 20 kills, recorded the final point to even the sets at one.
 
Texas State answered in the third set with a win and led 19-18 late in set four. Davis tallied five kills and a block down the stretch to force a fifth set in Foley, Ala. Texas State came out in the fifth set leading 9-6. A kill from Alexandra Kwasnik cut the lead to two, 9-7, as Davis took control of the match. She finished the match with four kills and two blocks as James Madison punched its ticket to the tournament finale.
 
Texas State was led offensively by Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year KJ Johnson, who finished with a double-double on 19 kills and 11 digs. Samantha Wunsch added 20 kills as Sophie Childs also finished in double figures with 10. Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Jade Defraeye totaled a match-high 11 blocks as setter Ryann Torres finished with a match-high 50 assists.
 
2023 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Schedule and Results
November 15-19, 2023 | Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Complex
 
First Round – Wednesday, November 15
Match 1 – (6W) Arkansas State 3, (7E) Georgia State 1
Match 2 – (6E) App State 3, (7W) ULM 0
 
Second Round – Thursday, November 16
Match 3 – (3E) Georgia Southern 3, (6W) Arkansas State 1
Match 4 – (4W) Louisiana 3, (5E) Old Dominion 0
Match 5 – (3W) Troy 3, (6E) App State 0
Match 6 – (4E) Marshall 3, (5W) Southern Miss 2
 
Quarterfinals – Friday, November 17
Match 7 – (2W) South Alabama 3, (3E) Georgia Southern 0
Match 8 – (1E) Coastal Carolina 3, (4W) Louisiana 0
Match 9 – (2E) James Madison 3, (3W) Troy 2
Match 10 – (1W) Texas State 3, (4E) Marshall 0
 
Semifinals – Saturday, November 18
Match 11 – (1E) Coastal Carolina 3, (2W) South Alabama 1
Match 12 – (2E) James Madison 3, (1W) Texas State 2
 
Championship – Sunday, November 19
Match 13 – 3:00 p.m. CT – (1E) Coastal Carolina vs. (2E) James Madison