PHOENIX, Ariz. – The University of Central Arkansas beach volleyball team split two matches out west with Ottawa University Arizona, a team they had not faced before this weekend. After a 1-1 start to the weekend, UCA now stands at 7-18 on the season.

Match 1: UCA 3 – OUAZ 2

UCA led off the day with a solid win led by the lower half of its order. The Bears got on the board with a solid win by Anna Linskey and Naya Tan over the No. 3 duo for the Spirit. UCA then took the lead with a dominant win from Ella Weilert and Liliana Irizary, who started with a 21-9 first set victory. After OUAZ tied things up at two apiece, Madelyn White and Audrey Cathcart stepped up to deliver UCA its seventh victory on the year. The pair has been playing really well together lately, which could be huge for the rest of the season and perhaps the seasons to come.

Match 2: UCA 2 – OUAZ 3

The afternoon match did not fare as well for the Bears, dropping a tightly contested match to the Spirit. While Brooke Kuball and Katie Atkinson's win came by retirement, the two fought hard to get in position to win in the third set. White and Cathcart earned another win, 21-15 and 21-13, continuing their streak of playing well as a team. UCA is now tied in the all-time series with Ottawa.

UCA will have another opportunity to play some teams they don't normally get a shot at, starting with Grand Canyon at 12:00 p.m. and UTEP at 2:00 p.m. UCA has only played GCU once, and has never played UTEP. To follow along with all things Beach Bears, follow @UCABeachVB on Twitter/X.