FORT WORTH, Texas – Playing in their first collegiate match, Tenley Housler and Erin Umbel fought their way to a victory, but that proved to be the only point the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team would pick up in a 4-1 loss to the No. 13 TCU Horned Frogs at the TCU Beach Courts in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday afternoon.
The day started with the fourth and fifth flights, featuring Haley Hutchinson and Maelee Sowa against Jensyn Bledsoe and Avery Arellano, as well as Madeline Sims and Kyra Henderson taking on Jordan Westendorff and Brooke Sassin. Henderson and Sims kept both sets close but ultimately fell, 21-16, 21-16. Hutchinson and Sowa stayed within striking distance for much of the first set before Bledsoe and Arellano took it 21-17 and they would win the second 21-13. In the exhibition match, Jordan Terral and Claire Doyle defeated Shelby Tate and Kadi Shipman, 22-20 and 21-11.
The second group of matches started off in promising fashion for the Javelinas. TAMUK No. 2's, Madison Brabham and Macy Berg seized the early lead against Jaelyn Green and Jillian Bergeson and Housler and Umbel did the same in the No. 3 bracket. Coach Tanya Allen's two freshman took the first set by a score of 21-15. Brabham and Berg, however, could not hold off the charge of Greene and Bergeson and lost by scores of 21-16 and 21-10. After TCU's Hannah Rogers and Molley Scheel evened their match with Housler and Umbel at one apiece, TAMUK's two first-year players persevered and dominated the final portion of the match on their way to a 21-15, 14-21, 15-7 triumph. In the No. 1 flight, Haven Hill and Cassie House topped Gabby Atchley and Whitney Walker, 21-10, 21-14.
The Javs were supposed to play two matches on Saturday but the second scheduled competition, against Houston Baptist, was cancelled.
The Hoggies have two more competitions against Division I opponents on the docket for Sunday. They are set to take on No. 11 Florida International University at 9 a.m. and the University of Louisiana-Monroe at 3 p.m. To stay up-to-date with everything related to Javelina beach volleyball, visit Javelinaathletics.com, follow @JavelinaBeach on Twitter and @JavelinaBeach on Instagram and like the /JavelinaSports Facebook page.
