Houston, Texas – The Central Arkansas beach volleyball team closed out its appearance at Houston Baptist's HBU Beach Invitational on Sunday taking on Texas A&M-Kingsville and #7 LSU. UCA scored a 5-0 win over A&M-Kingsville, before falling to LSU 5-0.

Abbie Harry and Kimberly Schnars opened the match against the Javelinas (8-11) with a 21-16, 21-10 win over Madi Sims and Marci Shipman to improve to 6-1 on the year, before Mackenzie Dear and Amy South gave the Bears (10-3) a 1-0 lead with a 21-12, 21-14 win over Haley Hutchinson and Kadi Shipman to make their record 4-3 on the season. Kellen Dunn and MC Rogers finished off the first half of the match with a 21-15, 21-15 defeat of Kat Evans and Maelee Sowa to give themselves a 6-2 record and Central Arkansas a 2-0 lead.

After the break, Kate Elman and Heather Schnars continued the dominant play they have displayed all season, moving to 11-1 by defeating Morgan Broussard and Madison Brabham 21-14, 21-18 at the No. 3 slot. The No. 2 match saw Kristine Hjembo and Stephanie Pollnow drop a 21-18, 21-18 decision to Gabby Atchley and Kyra Henderson, before Megan Nash and Haley Tippett wrapped up the match by taking down Lexi Wick and Kelby Sprinkles 26-28, 21-14, 15-8 in the No. 1 match to push their record to 6-2.

Against the seventh-ranked Tigers (18-5), Harry and Kim Schnars dropped the exhibition match 21-12, 21-16 to Taylor Bradley and Emma Hiller, while Dunn and Rogers were defeated by a score of 21-14, 21-14 in the No. 5 match against Megan Davenport and Callan Molle. The No. 4 match saw Dear and South defeated by Cati Leak and Maddie Ligon 21-11, 21-19.

Central Arkansas stormed out of the break, as Elman and Heather Schnars took the first set of the No. 3 match 21-17 and Nash and Tippett took the first set at No. 2 21-18, but the Beach Bears were unable to hold those leads. Elman and Schnars droped the second set 21-14 to Olivia Powers and Katie Lindelow before falling 15-9 in the third, and Tippett and Nash lost the second set 21-18 and the third 15-11 to Emmy Allen and Lilly Kessler. Hjembo and Pollnow, partnering at the No. 1 slot for the first time, fell to Claire Coppola and Kristin Nuss by a score of 21-15, 21-14.

"It was another great weekend of volleyball," said UCA head coach Jeni Jones Chatman. "I am proud of our team and our record thus far. We are gaining more and more experience with each match and we are starting to apply new concepts and, at times, play point-for-point with some of the best teams in the nation. We cannot wait to show UCA and Conway just how good this program and these players are when we return home for our last weekend of play."

Central Arkansas has a week off before hosting its first-ever tournament from April 20^th through April 22^nd. The Beach Bears will face UT-Martin at 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 20^th, before taking to the court against Houston Baptist on Friday morning at 9:30 AM and going toe-to-toe in a rematch with the Skyhawks at 2:00 PM that afternoon. UCA will wrap up its season on the 22^nd, taking on ULM at 11:00 AM.