Huntsville, AL.-  The No. 7 seed Central Arkansas Beach Bears fell to No. 2-seeded and No. 18-ranked North Florida, 5-0, on Wednesday in the opening round of the 2026 ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship.

Central Arkansas battled throughout the lineup, beginning on Court 3 where Ella Layzell and Brooke Sharp faced Samantha Crosby and Persley Murray. North Florida gained momentum early, adding wins on Courts 5 and 4 to take the lead in the dual.

The Beach Bears continued to compete on the remaining courts, highlighted by a strong effort from Madelyn White and Chandler Lawrence on Court 2. On Court 1, Natalie Blum and Anna Linskey closed out the match for Central Arkansas, battling in straight sets against a nationally ranked pair.

With the result, Central Arkansas moves into the elimination bracket and will continue play Thursday, April 23, taking on EKU at 2 p.m.