HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Central Arkansas Beach Bears wrapped up their 2025 campaign on Thursday at the ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship, held at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama. As the No. 7 seed, UCA faced a tough slate in the double-elimination tournament, falling to nationally ranked No. 17 North Florida and No. 6 Eastern Kentucky, both by 5-0 margins.
Game 1: No. 7 UCA vs No. 2/No. 17 North Florida – L, 0-5
The Beach Bears opened the tournament against powerhouse North Florida, who showed their top-tier form with a clean sweep across all five courts. Despite the final scoreline, UCA saw strong resistance in a few pairings.
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On Court 4, Katie Atkinson and Ella Layzell put up the toughest fight, narrowly dropping both sets to Eden Anderson and Hayden Wooldridge, 22-20, 22-20.
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On Court 1, Anna Linskey and Riley Melton stayed close in the first set but couldn't hold off Cameron Humphries and Taylor Pierce, falling 21-19, 21-14.
Game 2: No. 7 UCA vs No. 6 Eastern Kentucky – L, 0-5
In the elimination round, UCA battled hard but was again swept—this time by Eastern Kentucky.
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Linskey and Melton stayed competitive on Court 1, putting together an 18-15 effort but were outlasted by Molly Shomock and Paityn Walker, 21-18, 21-16.
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Audrey Cathcart and Liliana Irizary came close to taking the opening set on Court 5 but eventually fell 21-19, 21-9 to Elpida Pitsigkoni and Bella Williams.
Match Results:
vs North Florida
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Court 1: Linskey/Melton lost 19-21, 14-21
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Court 2: Foley/White lost 17-21, 15-21
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Court 3: Siewert/Weilert lost 15-21, 7-21
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Court 4: Atkinson/Layzell lost 20-22, 20-22
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Court 5: Cathcart/Irizary lost 13-21, 10-21
vs Eastern Kentucky
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Court 1: Linskey/Melton lost 18-21, 15-21
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Court 2: Foley/White lost 14-21, 18-21
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Court 3: Siewert/Weilert lost 15-21, 11-21
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Court 4: Atkinson/Layzell lost 17-21, 16-21
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Court 5: Cathcart/Irizary lost 19-21, 9-21
Though the Bears end the tournament without a win, the postseason experience was invaluable for a young squad continuing to build its identity in a competitive ASUN field. With continued development and leadership, the Beach Bears aim to come back stronger in 2026.
