CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Central Arkansas beach volleyball team split a pair of matches with some ASUN teams in the Stacheville Beach Bash on Friday afternoon. UCA now stands at 4-14 on the season.
UCA 3 – APSU 2
UCA started things out by spoiling things for this weekend's hosts in the Austin Peay Governors. The Bears started the match in a 2-0 hole, needing to win out to secure the victory. Naya Tan and Anna Linskey got the Beach Bears on the board with a solid two set victory, paving the way for the comeback. Katie Atkinson and Brooke Kuball helped even things up at two apiece with a thrilling three set victory after falling in the second set. Payton Sproule and Anna Collums continued to their good run as a pair, this time sealing the match with a three-set win, taking the final set 15-10. The win snapped a three-match losing streak to the Govs and padded the all-time lead over APSU to 5-3.
UCA 2 – EKU 3
The Beach Bears had something rolling, but the Colonels were quick to stop the two-match win streak. Madelyn White and Audrey Cathcart set the Bears up nicely, winning in two sets 21-17 and 21-13, but the Bears were unable to take advantage of the 1-0 lead. Sproule and Collums went 2-0 on the day with a three-set win over the No. 2 pair of Sandlin and Pitsigkoni, winning the decisive third set, 15-13. While that match ties it at two apiece, Tan and Linskey were unable to take the match. The pair won the first set, but the Colonels took the second set and then squeaked by in the third set, 15-13, to take the match. Unfortunately for the Bears, this was the first ever matchup between the two schools, so the Beach Bears may have to wait a while before they get a chance to rematch.
UCA will finish out the Stacheville Beach Bash in Clarksville, Tennessee on Saturday, March 23rd at 10:00 a.m. against the North Alabama Lions. To keep up with all things Beach Bears, follow @UCABeachVB on Twitter/X.
