PHOENIX, Ariz. – The University of Central Arkansas beach volleyball team had a tough day in the desert, losing back-to-back decisions to GCU and UTEP. After the weekend, UCA now stands at 7-20 ahead of the last weekend of the regular season.
UCA 0 – GCU 5
The host Grand Canyon Antelopes were not such gracious hosts on Sunday morning, breezing bast the Bears, 5-0. Payton Sproule and Anna Collums rebounded nicely after dropping the first set, 21-13, but the pair of upperclassmen Bears could not come up with the win in the third set, falling 15-7. UCA now falls to 0-2 all-time against GCU, with the last meeting with the Lopes coming exactly six years ago on April 7th of 2018.
UCA 2 – UTEP 3
The latter match on Sunday was much closer for the Beach Bears, as they were just edged out by the Miners from west Texas. UTEP took the first match, a three setter over Ella Weilert and Liliana Irizary as the pair was unable to take the decisive set, a 15-11 loss. UCA answered back with a three set victory of their own, as Sproule and Collums staved off elimination with a 27-25 set two win and followed it up with a 15-12 victory in set three. Audrey Cathcart and Madelyn White gave UCA a 2-1 lead with a dominant 21-12 opening set win, followed by a solid 21-18 win to clinch it. With the match tied at two apiece, Anna Linskey and Naya Tan were forced to fight off elimination, leading in the second set and looking to force a third, the Miners came back and Hill and McDonough of UTEP came out on top to seal the match. UTEP took the first ever meeting between the two teams, sending UCA home with three straight losses on the season.
UCA will head home for the first match on home soil since 2022, facing Tarleton and Missouri State on Friday, April 12th and on Saturday, April 13th, the Bears will take on Missouri State again, then will get another shot at Austin Peay.
