CONWAY, Ark. – After enjoying a weekend off, the University of Central Arkansas beach volleyball team looks to get things rolling in Clarksville, Tennessee this weekend.
The Bears earned their first victory of the season March 4th against Southeastern Louisiana and are looking to get more this weekend. Bria Garmon and Ryenne Gepford picked up three wins as a pair last time out, and have started this year on fire. Julia Oravec and Evelyn Griffith also got a win in a narrow 3-2 loss to Tusculum.
Austin Peay is a team that UCA has some history with. The two teams have met six times, but the last time was March 7th, 2020. The Bears hold a 4-2 advantage versus the Governors, but have lost the last two matchups. The Govs enter this weekend at 3-5, with a win over Morehead State and two impressive wins over the Liberty.
The Lindenwood Lions come into Clarksville at 4-1, while remaining somewhat untested. Lindenwood's victories this season have come against Oklahoma Wesleyan, Southwest Baptist, and McKendree. The Lions are one of a few teams on UCA's schedule that the Bears have no prior history with. The Bears should have things to prove in several facets this weekend against the Lions.
The UT Martin Skyhawks sit at 6-4 with a similar resume to Lindenwood. UTM has victories over Oklahoma Wesleyan and Southwest Baptist, but also owns victories against Eastern Kentucky and North Alabama. The Bears have never lost in six tries against the Skyhawks, with four of those victories coming at home. The last matchup was in 2022 in Clarksville, after a brief hiatus dating back to 2019. The Bears have an opportunity to keep UT Martin out of the win column and pick up another impressive victory this season.
UCA will take on the host Austin Peay on Friday, March 17th at 12:00 p.m., then the Bears will square off with Lindenwood at 4:00 p.m. to cap off the day. On Saturday, March 18th, the Bears will take on UT Martin at 12:00 p.m. to close out the tournament.
