HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The University of Central Arkansas beach volleyball team won a game in the Burg Beach Bash in Hattiesburg on Friday, but ultimately lost twice.
UCA improved its record to 5-11 on the season and have two games tomorrow against the teams it lost to tonight.
UCA 1 – USM 4
Anna Collums and Naya Tan started things off with taking the first set 21-16, and the second set 21-17. The Bears, however, were unable to capitalize on that momentum as the Golden Eagles took every other match in three sets. Julia Oravec and Kayla Cook took the first set against the No. 3 pairing of Phelan and Garraway for Southern Miss, however the USM duo took the final two sets to seal the victory.
UCA 4 – Nicholls 1
After a tough loss on Friday morning, UCA rebounded nicely by taking care of Nicholls to open the afternoon slate. UCA is now 3-0 against the Colonels all time after a dominant showing on Friday afternoon.
Payton Sproule and Madelyn White jumped out to a dominant win over the No. 4 pairing for the Colonels, followed by Tan and Collums winning in three sets against the No. 5 pair for Nicholls. Cook and Evelyn Groffith then took down the No. 3 for the Colonels in three sets to secure the victory, and then Ryenne Gepford and Bria Garmon put the cherry on top with a three-set victory over the No. 1 pair of Jones and Steele.
UCA 1 – New Orleans 4
UCA closed the day with another 4-1 defeat, once again falling on the wrong side of some three-set decisions. UCA has hit a slump against UNO in the past several years, as this is the ninth straight loss to the Privateers.
Cook had her third different doubles partner on the day as she and Payton Sproule defeated the No. 4 pair of Zecchin and Echeverri of New Orleans. UCA will have a shot to snap the nine-game slide to the Privateers early on Saturday.
UCA will take on New Orleans again on Saturday, April 1st at 9:00 a.m. and then will again play Southern Miss at 11:00 a.m.
