The Florida Gulf Coast University beach volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday on the first day of the Florida Atlantic Beach Invitational in Pompano Beach. The Eagles first delivered a 3-2 victory over Alabama Birmingham before dropping a 3-2 decision to Tampa.

Against UAB (9-5), FGCU (5-7) had to catch up from a 0-2 deficit as Andrea Dietz and Sydney Majick battled through three sets before falling 21-18, 21-17 on court No. 4.

The No. 5 pair of Erin Miller and Mia Thompson also dropped their match with 22-20, 16-21,15-13 scores.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard when Alexis Keeter and Ava Lilliquist won 21-18, 21-18 on court No. 3. FGCU's number two pair of Jaci Carpenter and Emma Soncrant tied the match by winning 21-14, 21-17.

The victory for the Green and Blue came down to court No.1 and Nicole De Oliveira  and Kaitlyn Luebbers rallied through three sets to win 21-17, 16-21, 21-18 to clinch a 3-2 victory for FGCU.

In the second match versus Tampa, the Spartans took the lead as Majick and Miller fell after three sets with a 21-14, 14-21, 15-12 loss on court No. 5. Dietz and Thompson got the Green and Blue's first point from court No. 4 by delivering a fight with a 19-21, 22-20, 15-9 win.

FGCU then gained a 2-1 advantage from court No. 3 as Keeter and Lilliquist won 21-15, 21-14. The Trojans kept fighting and tied the match as Carpenter and Soncrant rallied through three sets before falling 18-21, 21-13,17-15.

The winner would be decided from court No. 1. De Oliveira and Lubbers won the first set 21-16 but dropped the second and third 22-20, 15-11 consecutively.

FGCU is back in action tomorrow for two ranked matches, first taking on No. 4 USC at 10:30 a.m. and No. 20 Georgia State at 2:15 p.m.