Like many of the athletic programs at Florida Atlantic University, the beach volleyball team is on the rise.

Fresh off a victory on Friday, April 1, against No. 9 ranked Stetson University, senior Andrea Galinis was feeling confident in her team’s performance.

“Conference is in three weeks, and I think we have a really good shot to compete there,” she said.

While the team may fly under the radar, they play hard regardless of who’s watching.

“We’re probably the most underrated team here,” said Natalie Fraley, a 5-foot-4 graduate student who feels the Owls elevate their game against higher competition. “We’ve been getting a lot of respect from teams in the top five, we’re definitely on the rise.”

Over the course of the season, this team has proven that it’s capable of playing at an even higher level than its respectable 9-8 record indicates. Fraley knows this, and feels the best is yet to come.

“We keep getting better every week, we still haven’t played our best volleyball,” she said.

Both Galinis and Fraley won their matches on April 2, at the FIU Surf and Turf Tournament where the Owls defeated the Tulane University Green Wave 3-2. That victory was the lone highlight of the day for FAU, as the team fell to both the University of Southern California and Georgia State University — ranked second and eighth, respectively.

While competing tends to be the driving force behind an athlete’s success, graduate student Delaney Clesen says it’s not the only thing that drives this team.

“We’re having so much fun with it,” Clesen said. “Yeah we’re coming out here to compete and do our best, but our goal is really just to have fun and keep improving.”

Off the court, Galinis emphasizes the team’s sense of unity and fun loving spirit.

“We’re always hanging out together when we aren’t playing,” she said. “We love taco Tuesdays, it’s a great group.”

Up next for the Owls is a trip to Siesta Key, for the “Fiesta at Siesta” on April 8, followed by a game at Florida Gulf Coast University on April 12.

The main test for this group will come at the conference tournament beginning on the April 22, where these girls will have a shot to prove just how far they’ve come, and keep building on their success.

Miller Lepree is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet @Miller_h97