KINGSVILLE, Texas – For the third straight time in 2018, the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team hosted two programs in matches at home and the Javelinas won both contests without dropping a set, defeating the Ottawa (Kan.) University Braves and the Tarleton State TexAnns by identical 5-0 scores on day one of the Emerald Beach Invitational in Kingsville, Texas on Saturday.
The Javelinas now own a record of 9-5 and are 6-0 at home this season. They need just one more victory to match their win total from all of 2017.
Ottawa vs. TAMUK
The Javelinas began the day by sailing to an easy victory against their first opponent. The Braves reached 10 points in a set only once against the Javs.
The first victory was claimed by sophomore Maelee Sowa (Sealy, Texas) and senior Madeline Sims (Aztec, N.M.). They raced to a win in the first set, 21-6, and proceeded to turn the same trick in the second to take the first point of the match, 21-6, 21-6. Senior Kyra Henderson (Carlsbad, Calif.) and junior Haley Hutchinson (Georgetown, Texas) had a similarly easy time in the No. 4 match, routing Makayla Aspegren and Destiny Crowder, 21-5, 21-8, putting TAMUK ahead by a pair. The No. 6 match also went to the Blue and Gold, with freshman Shelby Tate (New Braunfels, Texas) and sophomore Kadi Shipman (Georgetown, Texas) winning, 21-9, 21-7
Once the top three matches began, freshmen Tenley Housler (Bulverde, Texas) and Erin Umbel (Helotes, Texas) secured the home team's third point by besting Ayona Tharps and Heather Huesman, 21-7, 21-6. The No. 1 flight was all Gabby Atchley (Concord, Calif.) and Whitney Walker (Bellingham, Wash.), with the sophomore and freshman teaming up for a 21-6, 21-9 triumph and sophomore Madison Brabham (Kingwood, Texas) and freshman Macy Berg (San Antonio, Texas) secured a clean sweep by a score of 21-12, 21-5.
Tarleton State vs. TAMUK
The second match of the day for the Javelinas began with opening set wins by Henderson and Hutchinson, 21-4, and Sims and Sowa, 21-14. The second set proved to a tougher task in both matchups, as Tarleton's Hannah McManus and Adrianna Knutson took an early lead in the No. 4 match and Amber Strange and Michaela Rodriguez did the same in the fifth. Henderson and Hutchinson stormed back with a run that gave them a commanding lead on their way to a 21-12 clincher and Sims and Sowa rebounded as well to seal up the No. 5 flight, 21-17. Tate and sophomore Loren Washington (Round Rock, Texas) took the sixth match, 21-7, 21-9.
Housler and Umbel picked up their team-high 11th win, all of them coming while playing out of the third spot, and they did it by vanquishing Kayleigh Conger and Kiana Leveston, 21-11, 21-9. Brabham and Berg battled through a tough first set before putting it into cruise control in the second, winning, 21-15, 21-9. The final point was secured by Walker and Atchley, who brushed aside the tandem of Adriana Darthuy and Blanca Izquierdo, 21-13, 21-8.
The Emerald Beach Invitational finishes up with two more matches for the Javelinas on Sunday. The University of New Orleans is up first at 9 a.m. and TAMUK will close out the tournament with a bout against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 2 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.
