Nacogdoches, Texas – The University of Central Arkansas Beach Bears went to the heart of Texas and earned a split with some tough teams in Stephen F. Austin and Arizona.
UCA's record now improves to 4-9 ahead of a talented field in Hattiesburg next weekend.
UCA 3 SFA 2
On Thursday afternoon, the Bears narrowly defeated the Lumberjacks thanks to some of the usual suspects. Ryenne Gepford and Bria Garmon beat the No. 1 pairing of Bennett and Ogden for SFA for their third straight win.
Kayla Cook and Payton Sproule won their second straight match as a pair, upending the No. 3 pairing for SFA in three sets. Anna Linskey and Marissa Gilmore also won in three sets, defeating the No. 4 pairing of Amador and Myers for the Lumberjacks. Charlie Tidwell and Madelyn White nearly defeated the No. 5 pairing for SFA, but were edged 15-13 in the third set.
The win puts UCA at 3-1 all time against Stephen F. Austin, with the three prior matchups coming in the spring of 2022. The Bears will get another shot at the Lumberjacks in early April, when they'll meet in Monroe, Louisiana.
UCA 0 Arizona 5
Against power-5 opponents, UCA has fallen behind early and been unable to overcome these programs. It was only the second time that the Wildcats and Bears have squared off, with the last time coming in the spring of 2018, with the Wildcats taking down UCA 4-1 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Unfortunately for the Bears, they will not get another shot at Arizona this season like they have second chances scheduled with UAB and SFA in the remainder of the schedule.
The second match with Stephen F. Austin was canceled due to impending weather.
The Bears will head down to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for the 2023 Beach Burg Invitational on Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st. The Bears will face off against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Nicholls Colonels, and New Orleans Privateers.
