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CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The courts are manicured to perfection, there is fresh sunscreen at the ready and in less than 24 hours, the College of Charleston beach volleyball team will hit the sand for the first time in 2022 hoping to make a splash in its first season as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
 
The Cougars will open the 2022 campaign with a challenging slate at the Stetson Spring Fling on Friday and Saturday in Deland, Fla. Charleston is slated to square off against No. 20 Florida Gulf Coast in the opening match of the season at noon on Friday before taking on Mercer at 4:00 p.m. that afternoon. A pair of ranked matchups await the Cougars on Saturday with CofC facing No. 19 Stetson at 8:00 a.m. followed by a noon tilt against No. 18 South Carolina.
 
"I am excited for the start of the beach season," head coach Jason Kepner said. "We return a very experienced roster with 12 players who competed for us last season. With the addition of a few new players, this is one of our deepest teams in our program history. We will be challenged right away at Stetson with ASUN opponents and a talented USC team. It is a great way to start the season and I look forward to getting back on the sand to compete."
 
Charleston returns eight players who appeared in at least 10 duals last season, led by senior Sky Benjamin and sophomore Rebeca Olariu who partnered for 12 victories in the top flight in 2021. Senior Ella Reames formed a stellar pairing with sophomore Maria Zweig last season as well with the duo posting a team-best 15-10 record.
 
Juniors Kyra Thompson and Mikaela Dougherty, along with sophomores Jasmin Goei and Marie Martinsen, are expected to fill significant roles in the lineup after featuring prominently last season. Seniors Amani Dunston, Claire Campbell, Brooke Harris and Molly Russell are back in the fold while juniors Emma Falk and Gabi Bailey, as well as sophomores Sofie Vogel and Alli Grant Avery, figure to be in the mix for spots in the lineup as well.
 
The Cougars also welcome freshmen Tynley Smeltzer and Alexa Psotka into the mix giving Coach Kepner a wealth of talented options at his disposal this spring.