KINGSVILLE, Texas – For the second time in 2018, the Javelina Beach Courts will be put to good use as the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team prepares to host the Emerald Beach Invitational, an event that will include a pair of Division I programs and will take place on March 17th – 18th in Kingsville, Texas.
The schedule for coach Tanya Allen's team during this 48-hour competition begins with a bout against Ottawa (Kan.) University on Saturday at 2 p.m. That's followed by match with Tarleton State at 5 p.m. Sunday begins bright and early with a 9 a.m. contest versus the University of New Orleans and Kingsville finishes the event by tangling with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 3 p.m.
The first event the Javelinas hosted on their home courts could not have gone much better. The Javs welcomed Missouri Baptist, Stevenson, Huntingdon and Principia to Kingsville and promptly swept all four schools without dropping a set during the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic. Those victories improved the program's record to 12-2 all-time at home and nine of those 12 wins have been sweeps.
"I think any team enjoys playing at home more than they do on the road," said Allen. "Being able to sleep in their own beds and having their family, as well as fans and their teammates here, I think it's much easier to play in that environment."
Since dropping their first three matches, the Javelinas have won 34 of their last 45 sets, including a 5- 0 sweep against a Florida Southern team that was receiving votes the American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll. Freshmen Tenley Housler (Bulverde, Texas) and Erin Umbel (Helotes, Texas) have formed Allen's most effective tandem so far this season. Playing in the No. 3 spot all year, the nine triumphs they've racked up are already more than any Javelina pairing accumulated in 2017 and Housler and Umbel are currently on a four-match win streak.
"They've been beach players for a while," said Allen. "They're a little bit more experienced than some of our indoor players that we've converted to beach. I think they're a little bit more comfortable and confident when it comes to a lot of the little things, which, when it comes to this game, a lot of the little things are the determining factors in who wins. I'm really proud of them, I think they've done a great job."
TAMUK's top two teams are not far behind, as they also can claim winning records. Freshman Whitney Walker (Bellingham, Wash.) and sophomore Gabby Atchley (Concord, Calif.) have spent the year at No. 1 and are 7-5 to this point, while freshman Macy Berg (San Antonio, Texas) and junior Madison Brabham (Kingwood, Texas) sport an identical record playing out of the second flight. Out of eight Javelina tandems that have played at least five matches together, six have a winning record.
For Ottawa University, 2018 is their first year competing in beach volleyball and the Emerald Beach Invitational will be the first competition in program history. Coach Melissa Blesington has assembled a team of 21 players, including 12 freshmen, and they will be put to the test for the first time in Kingsville.
The Javelinas will then take on a Tarleton State team that will be making its first appearance in the sand in Kingsville, followed the next morning by a clash with the University of New Orleans. The Privateers are in their fourth season of beach volleyball and are still looking for their first campaign with a winning record. This season, they've gotten off to a 1-4 start. Madison Miller and Brianna Vega have formed the most effective team for coach Millicent Van Norden, compiling a 4-1 record that includes a 3-0 mark in the No. 4 flight.
The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders are an all-too-familiar foe for the Javelinas. A season ago, they were responsible for one of TAMUK's two home defeats, but that was the only time TAMCC topped the Javelinas in three tries, including one match on the Islanders' home courts. The 2018 campaign for coach Gayle Stammer and her squad has consisted of a trip to the North Florida tournament at the beginning of March, where they managed one win in four tries.
For complete coverage of the tournament, including results and recaps of each Javelina match, visit Javelinaathletics.com. 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.
