TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --- Taylor Foley (Agoura Hills, Calif.) and Logan Manusky (San Diego, Calif.) picked up two key victories at fives to help the College of Charleston beach volleyball team to a split against No. 11 Florida International, and No. 15 Stetson on Friday at the FSU Invitational.
 
College of Charleston (1-1) started the day with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over 11^th-ranked FIU, before falling to No. 15 Stetson, 3-2, following a hard-fought battle at twos. Manusky and Foley got the Cougars on the front foot against FIU with a narrow 18-21, 21-18, 16-14 victory to send the match to the second rotation tied at 1-1.
 
Following a setback at ones, Kennedy Madison (Evansville, Ind.) and Riana Brennan (Los Gatos, Calif.) pulled the Cougars even at 2-2 with a nail-biting 21-19, 25-23 win at threes. McKala Rhodes (Charleston, S.C.) and Devon Rachel (Louisville, Ky.) then delivered the deciding point at twos with a 21-18, 21-15 win to give the Cougars the 3-2 season-opening victory.
 
The Cougars carried the momentum into the afternoon match against Stetson, taking fives with a 21-17, 21-16 win from Foley and Manusky before Lauren Freed (Troy, Ohio) and Allison Beckman (Apex, N.C.) won at fours, 21-17, 21-17. Madison and Brennan fought for every point at threes, but came up short in a 14-21, 20-22 setback that halved the CofC lead to 2-1.
 
After Krissy Mummey (Hudson, Ohio) and Katja Ehlers (Raleigh, N.C.) fell at ones, 10-21, 11-21, Rhodes and Rachel rebounded from an 11-21 first-set loss to force a decisive third set with a 21-18 victory in the second. Stetson would not be deterred, and answered with a 15-5 decision in the final frame to seal the narrow 3-2 victory.
 
The Cougars return to the courts on Saturday to wrap up the weekend at the FSU Invitational. Charleston will take on host and No. 3 Florida State at 10:30 am, followed by a 2:30 pm matchup with St. Petersburg College.
 
College of Charleston 3, No. 11 Florida International 2
1. Federica Frasca/Margherita Bianchin (FIU) def. Krissy Mummey/Katja Ehlers (COFC) 21-13, 21-15
2. McKala Rhodes/Devon Rachel (COFC) def. Anabela Sataric/Dorina Klinger (FIU) 21-18, 21-15
3. Kennedy Madison/Riana Brennan (COFC) def. Lina Bernier/Erika Zembyla (FIU) 21-19, 25-23
4. Estefanie Bethancour/Natalia Giron (FIU) def. Lauren Freed/Allison Beckman (COFC) 21-11, 21-16
5. Logan Manusky/Taylor Foley (COFC) def. Erin Byrne/Mariana Dal Pozzo (FIU) 18-21, 21-18, 16-14
 
No. 15 Stetson 3, College of Charleston 2
1. S. Helland-Hansen/Carly Perales (STET) def. Krissy Mummey/Katja Ehlers (COFC) 21-10, 21-11
2. Darby Dunn/Sammee Thomas (STET) def. McKala Rhodes/Devon Rachel (COFC) 21-11, 18-21, 15-5
3. Samantha Harris/Rachel Noble (STET) def. Kennedy Madison/Riana Brennan (COFC) 21-14, 22-20
4. Lauren Freed/Allison Beckman (COFC) def. Alexa Richardson/Julie Varga (STET) 21-17, 21-17
5. Logan Manusky/Taylor Foley (COFC) def. Katinka Krahn/Quinci Birker (STET) 21-17, 21-16