Tucson, Ariz. - The Central Arkansas Beach Bears competed in an exciting weekend at the Arizona Invitational, taking on UTEP, Arizona, and Colorado Mesa. The Bears faced tough competition but showed resilience, securing a win against UTEP while battling hard against Arizona and Colorado Mesa.

UCA 3, UTEP 2

The Beach Bears kicked off the weekend with a thrilling 3-2 victory over UTEP. Despite challenges, UCA came together with strong individual performances to secure the win in a tightly contested match.

Match Results:

1. Anna Linskey & Riley Melton (UCA) def. Krista Paegle & Paulina Acuna (UTEP):
   18-21, 21-16, 15-11  
   Linskey and Melton displayed impressive resilience, coming back from a set down to take the win in a dramatic tiebreaker.

2. Madelyn White & Kenzie Foley (UCA) def. Madison Hill & Ema Uskokovic (UTEP):
   21-15, 21-16  
   White and Foley dominated both sets, securing a straight-set win for UCA.

3. Callie Mullins & Katie Atkinson (UCA) def. Mila Popovic & Marian Ovalle (UTEP):  
   21-17, 21-9  
   Mullins and Atkinson were dominant, cruising to a straight-set victory to help UCA take the lead.

4. Lauren Perry & Emma Schubert (UTEP) def. Naya Tan & Reegan Siewart (UCA):  
   21-11, 21-17  
   Tan and Siewart fought hard, but UTEP's Perry and Schubert came out on top in both sets.

5. Liliana Irizary & Audrey Cathcart (UCA) def. Adriana Oporto & Katie Call (UTEP):
   21-17, 18-21, 15-13  
   Irizary and Cathcart secured a hard-fought three-set win in a thrilling tiebreaker, clinching the match for UCA.

The Beach Bears' win over UTEP was a hard-earned victory, showcasing teamwork and determination, particularly in the performances of Linskey, Melton, and Irizary/Cathcart.

Arizona 4, Central Arkansas 1

Later in the day, UCA faced the host team, Arizona, in a challenging match. Despite a spirited effort, the Beach Bears were defeated 4-1 by Arizona.

Match Results:

1. Anna Linskey & Riley Melton (UCA) def. Adri Nieves Papaleo & Kate Phillips (ARIZ):
   21-18, 17-21, 15-12  
   Linskey and Melton earned a hard-fought three-set victory, showcasing strong resilience to take the final set 15-12.

2. Kylee Fitzsimmons & Brooke Blutreich (ARIZ) def. Madelyn White & Kenzie Foley (UCA):  
   21-8, 21-14  
   White and Foley struggled against Arizona's dominant duo, falling in straight sets.

3. Ashlyn Zilliken & Madeline Walker (ARIZ) def. Callie Mullins & Katie Atkinson (UCA): 
   21-16, 21-16  
   Mullins and Atkinson fought hard, but Arizona's pair was too strong in both sets.

4. Annie Kost & Elin Kaiser (ARIZ) def. Liliana Irizary & Audrey Cathcart (UCA).  
   21-6, 21-18  
   Irizary and Cathcart struggled against Arizona's Kost and Kaiser, particularly in the first set, but recovered in the second before falling short.

5. Meghan O'Meara & Brooke Boyko (ARIZ) def. Naya Tan & Reegan Siewert (UCA):
   21-10, 21-15  
   Tan and Siewert faced a tough challenge and couldn't break through against Arizona's solid play.

The match saw some highlights, including Linskey and Melton's thrilling win, but Arizona's depth proved to be too much, securing the win 4-1.

Colorado Mesa 3, Central Arkansas 2

The Beach Bears closed out their weekend with a tough 3-2 loss to Colorado Mesa. UCA showed fight in key moments but ultimately came up short.

Match Results:

1. Gracyn Spresser & Ellie Ask (CMU-BVB) def. Anna Linskey & Riley Melton (UCA):  
   21-19, 21-16  
   Linskey and Melton put up a strong fight but fell in two sets to the powerful Colorado Mesa duo.

2. Madelyn White & Kenzie Foley (UCA) def. Riley Daugherty & Lizzy Hood (CMU-BVB): 
   11-21, 21-17, 22-20  
   White and Foley came back after a first-set loss, securing a thrilling three-set victory with a dramatic 22-20 win in the tiebreaker.

3. Barett Nolan & Ania Swartzendruber (CMU-BVB) def. Callie Mullins & Katie Atkinson (UCA):  
   21-16, 21-7  
   Mullins and Atkinson fought hard but couldn't overcome the strong play of Colorado Mesa's duo, falling in straight sets.

4. Taylor Scherff & Jessica Passi (CMU-BVB) def. Naya Tan & Reegan Siewert (UCA):
   21-15, 24-22  
   Tan and Siewert pushed Colorado Mesa to extra points in the second set but ultimately fell short in a close match.

5. Liliana Irizary & Audrey Cathcart (UCA) def. Stormi Tadlock & Lauren Rohlwing (CMU-BVB):
   21-18, 16-21, 15-12  
   Irizary and Cathcart earned UCA's second point of the day with a thrilling three-set victory, clinching the win with a 15-12 tiebreaker.

Exhibition Match:
Brooke Hartman & Sofia Kolbe (CMU-BVB) def. Hadley Tully & Emmie Tidwell (UCA):
   21-17, 21-14  
   Tully and Tidwell struggled against the experienced Colorado Mesa pair, falling in straight sets.

The match was a hard-fought contest, with UCA showing determination, particularly in the performances of White/Foley and Irizary/Cathcart, but Colorado Mesa's strong play ultimately earned them the 3-2 victory.

Overall Recap:

The Central Arkansas Beach Bears had a challenging but competitive weekend at the Arizona Invitational. They showed great resilience in their 3-2 victory over UTEP, but faced tough losses to Arizona and Colorado Mesa. Key performances from Linskey, Melton, White, Foley, and Irizary/Cathcart were highlights of the weekend, as the Beach Bears continue to grow and improve throughout the tournament.

Next Up: The Central Arkansas Beach Bears will look to regroup and continue their season heading to Jacksonville, Florida to face FGCU and Jacksonville on March 28th.