Vale, Gulledge Punch Tickets to AVCA Beach Nationals

Friday, October 16

Wilmington, N.C. / Capt'n Bill's Backyard Grill & Volleyball Facility

Chattanooga

AVCA East Coast National Qualifier

Tournament Page

Ansley Gulledge tipping the ball over the net against Lindenwood

Photo by: Ray Soldano

10/17/2026 6:42:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Chattanooga made some noise at the AVCA East Coast Qualifier this weekend

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Chattanooga had two duos compete in the AVCA East Coast Qualifier this weekend, highlighted by Ansley Gulledge and Corina Vale, who finished second place to punch their ticket to the AVCA Beach National Championships November 6-8. The duo needed to finish third or better in the 16-team tournament and they did just that.

The Sandy Mocs had already earned one bid to the National Championships in Huntsville due to making the NCAA Tournament last spring. With Gulledge and Vale's success they now can bring two pairs to the event against some of the best players in the country.

Gulledge and Vale, playing in competition for the first time together, went 1-1 in pool play before rattling off three wins in a row as the No. 8 seed before falling in the Championship match. In bracket play, they swept teams from North Alabama, Coastal Carolina, and South Carolina. Their full weekend results are copied below.

Pool Play
Gulledge/Vale def. Marinack/Schrock (UNCW) 21-16, 27-25
Ebarb/Troncale (Georgia State) def. Gulledge/Vale 21-17, 21-17

Bracket Play
Round of 16: Gulledge/Vale def. Griner/Whitehead (North Alabama) 21-10, 21-12
Quarterfinals: Gulledge/Vale def. Cepicky/Lyo (Coastal Carolina) 21-17, 21-17
Semifinals: Gulledge/Vale def. Askew/Balue (South Carolina) 25-23, 21-17
Championship: McNabney/Sigmon (Coastal Carolina) def. Gulledge/Vale 21-12, 21-14

Sydney Jackwin and Taylor Clark also competed in Wilmington for the Sandy Mocs. The pair had a great end to the weekend, winning three matches in the ninth-place bracket after falling in their first three matches on Friday. They beat teams from Morehead State, Catawba College, and North Alabama. Jackwin's and Clark's full results are listed below.

Pool Play
McNabney/Sigmon (Coastal Carolina) def. Clark/Jackwin 21-15, 23-21
Hermont/Martinez (Catawba) def. Clark/Jackwin 21-17, 21-18

Bracket Play
Ebarb/Troncale (Georgia State) def. Clark/Jackwin 21-16, 21-11
Clark/Jackwin def. Marita/Snowden (Morehead State) 21-18, 14-21, 15-12
Clark/Jackwin def. Hermont/Martinez (Catawba) 21-18, 21-15
Clark/Jackwin def. Griner/Whitehead (North Alabama) 21-19, 18-21, 15-11

FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA BEACH VOLLEYBALL
For the most up-to-date information regarding Chattanooga Beach Volleyball, please follow us on X (@GoMocsBeachVB), Instagram (@GoMocsBeachVB) & Facebook (Chattanooga Athletics Department) or visit GoMocs.com.

GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here. NIL opportunities with Chattanooga Mocs student-athletes can be found here.