FORT WORTH – In a match in which nine sets were decided by four points or fewer, the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team was handed a 5-0 defeat by the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at the TCU Beach Courts in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Horned Frog Challenge. Earlier in the day, the Javelinas were defeated by No. 11 Florida International University, 5-0.
TAMUK vs. FIU
The contest with the Panthers began with matches in the No. 4, 5 and 6 flights. In the No. 4 slot, Haley Hutchinson and Loren Washington went against Estefanie Bethancour and Natalia Giron, who took the first set 21-13. The second frame was more hotly contested, but Bethancour and Giron were able to collect a point for Panthers, winning, 21-17. FIU's Erin Byrne and Mariana Dal Pozzo took the No 5 match over Madeline Sims and Maelee Sowa, 21-13, 21-11. The No. 6, exhibition match went to Helene Thelle and Taija Thomas, 21-14, 21-19, over Shelby Tate and Kyra Henderson.
The teams then moved to the top three flights, which included No. 3 Tenley Housler and Erin Umbel versus Lina Bernier and Erika Zembyla. After dropping the first set 21-13, the two Javelinas found a rhythm in the second and tied things up with an effort that produced a 21-17 score, but they were unable to complete the comeback, as Bernier and Zembyla prevailed 21-13, 17-21, 15-10. In the other two matches, Federica Frasca and Margherita Bianchin topped Gabby Atchley and Whitney Walker, 21-8, 21-16 and Anabela Sataric and Dorina Klinger outscored Madison Brabham and Macy Berg, 21-12, 21-17.
TAMUK VS. ULM
In the afternoon, the Javelinas shifted their focus to the Warhawks and in the No. 5 competition, Henderson and Sims fought through an even first set against Holland Ponthieux and Taylor Meyer and TAMUK's tandem had a late, 20-19 lead, but three consecutive points allowed Meyer and Ponthieux to steal the frame. The second set was almost a carbon copy of the first, with the lead being passed back and forth until Holland and Ponthieux used a late run to grab a point for ULM, 22-20, 21-19.
Hutchinson and Washington had a tough time in their first set, which they dropped 21-8 in the fourth flight. The second was very different story, however. Hutchinson and Washington erased an early 8-3 deficit to seize the lead at 17-16, but were unable to maintain that momentum and lost by four. In the exhibition match, Kadi Shipman and Tate picked up an easy win, 21-5, 21-17.
At No. 1, Atchley and Walker took on Gabby Love and Grace Convey and that battle opened with a nail-biter that Love and Convey claimed, 22-20 and ULM's pairing also won the second, 21-15.
After seeing the first set go against them in the No. 2 spot, Brabham and Berg bounced back by taking the second by an identical score, 21-15. At No. 3, Housler and Umbel pulled nearly the same trick, dropping the opener 21-19 before capturing the second 21-18. Unfortunately for the Javs, the third set eluded both duos. Housler and Umbel suffered defeat, 21-19, 18-21, 15-11 and the final for Brabham and Berg's match was 21-15, 15-21, 15-13.
The Javelina Beach Courts will come alive for the first time on Friday and Saturday, when TAMUK hosts the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic, during which the team will play four matches. 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.
