Houston, TX – The Central Arkansas beach volleyball team faced a challenging slate at the Third Coast Classic, hosted by Houston Christian University, dropping four matches over the weekend despite strong performances in several pairings.
Feb. 22, 2025
Game 1 - UTEP 4, UCA 1 The Sugar Bears opened the weekend with a hard-fought 4-1 loss against UTEP. UCA's lone victory came from the No. 2 pair of Anna Linskey and Riley Melton, who battled back from a first-set deficit to win 10-21, 21-14, 15-7. The remaining matches saw competitive sets, with the No. 1 pair of Kenzie Foley and Katie Atkinson pushing their match to a decisive third set before falling 21-13, 20-22, 15-10.
Game 2 – #15 Texas 3, UCA 0 Facing a top-ranked Texas squad, the Sugar Bears struggled to gain momentum, ultimately falling 3-0. The No. 1 pair of Foley and Atkinson were overpowered 21-13, 21-10, while the No. 3 and No. 4 teams also suffered straight-set defeats. The No. 2 and No. 5 matches were abandoned, with UCA trailing in both contests.
Feb. 23, 2025
Game 1 – Houston Christian 5, UCA 0 The Sugar Bears ran into another formidable opponent in host Houston Christian, dropping all five matches in straight sets. UCA's closest battle came in the No. 1 pairing, where Linskey and Melton forced extra points in the first set before falling 24-22, 21-15. The No. 2 pair of Atkinson and Foley also kept their match close but came up short 21-19, 21-16.
Game 2 – McNeese 3, UCA 2 UCA wrapped up the tournament with its most competitive match of the weekend, narrowly falling 3-2 against McNeese. The Sugar Bears secured victories at the No. 1 and No. 5 spots. Linskey and Melton delivered a clutch performance, taking down McNeese's No. 1 duo 21-16, 19-21, 15-7. Meanwhile, Madeline Dickerson and Emmie Tidwell edged out a dramatic three-set win at the No. 5 spot, 23-21, 19-21, 15-13. Despite the strong efforts, McNeese clinched the match with hard-fought wins at the No. 2, 3, and 4 spots.
The Sugar Bears (0-4) will look to bounce back next weekend as they head to Springfield, MO to face Southwest Baptist, Hendrix, Lindenwood and Missouri State.
