HOUSTON, Texas – The University of Central Arkansas beach volleyball team opened up its 2024 spring slate with two tough matches against Houston Christian and TCU. UCA opens play this season at 0-2.
UCA 1 – HCU 4
UCA dropped its opener against Houston Christian, ending 4-1 in favor of the Huskies. In the 14th meeting all time between the Bears and the Huskies, it was HCU gaining a 9-5 lead in the series. All told, the Huskies took care of the Bear in relatively short order, as the only match that went into a third set was the fifth match, where sophomore Madelyn White and freshman Audrey Cathcart came back to take the decisive set, 15-11 after dropping the second set.
UCA 0 – No. 4 TCU 5
The Beach Bears had a tough draw in opening weekend, and it showed as UCA dropped the first of its three matches against ranked teams this weekend to No. 4 TCU. Naya Tan and Anna Linskey nearly forced a third set in their match in the No. 4 spot, but the Horned Frogs proved to be too much for UCA in that one. Cathcart and White once again made it a game in the first set, but TCU's pair of Keagan and Williams took care of the pair of young Beach Bears. TCU has now taken all six matchups all time between the two teams, including four straight seasons, dating back to 2021.
UCA will get right back in the mix Saturday, February 24th at 9:00 a.m. against LSU, and then will cap off opening weekend against Washington at 3:00 p.m. You can follow all things UCA Bears Beach Volleyball on Twitter/X at @UCABeachVB.
