KINGSVILLE, Texas – Brushing off an 0-3 start, the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team laid waste to the competition at the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic in their most recent tournament and they'll be attempting to take that momentum with them on the road as they visit the Sunshine State for five matches at the Stetson Beach Blast, which is scheduled for March 9th – 10th in Deland, Fla.
The Javelinas' most recent competition came on their home court, as they played host to four other programs and Tanya's Allen crew took advantage of the opportunity by defeating each squad without dropping a single set. This marks the second straight season TAMUK has started the home schedule 4-0 and their record at the Javelina Beach Courts now stands at 12-2 going back to last year.
Allen's top four flights remained intact through the entire weekend and each now holds a winning record so far this season. The No. 3 tandem of freshmen Tenley Housler (Bulverde, Texas) and Erin Umbel (Helotes, Texas) is one of three pairings that's played every match together so far. Despite this being the first year in Blue and Gold for both players, neither has looked like a freshman so far and they've compiled a record of 5-2. They outscored their opponents last weekend by a combined score of 168-70, Kingsville's best differential over those two days. Junior Haley Hutchinson (Georgetown, Texas) and sophomore Maelee Sowa (Sealy, Texas) have formed a productive team at No. 4, where their record stands at 4-1.
The toughest opponent the Javelinas will be facing in Deland will also be their first opponent, the No. 16 Stetson Hatters. Now in their seventh season as a program, Stetson recorded 20 wins against 13 losses last year and while they're only 3-5 in 2018, all five of those losses have come against ranked teams, including two defeats at the hands of No. 4 Florida State. One of their three wins this season was a 3-2 squeaker over a College of Charleston team that is receiving votes nationally. Last year, coach Kristina Hernandez steered the Hatters to both regular season and conference titles in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The Mercer Bears are the second team the Javelinas will face on the opening day of the tournament and this event will be the first real test of the season for coach Derek Schroeder and his student-athletes. They've played only one match to this point, a 5-0 home win over Huntingdon College on Feb. 24th. Last year, Mercer amassed a record of 15-12, playing a schedule that pitted them against four ranked team, but the Bears were unable to spring an upset on any of their nationally recognized foes. This year's edition includes six freshmen, but the Bears also can draw on the experience that comes from having four seniors on the roster.
After facing two Division I challengers on the first day of the competition, the Javelinas will tangle with a trio of Division II programs on Saturday, starting with the University of Tampa. The Spartans started the month of March with five matches in three days and they went 4-1 during that stretch. Their overall record stands at 5-2 in the inaugural season for coach Jeff Lamm and Tampa's beach volleyball program.
The only loss that Tampa has suffered in their last five matches came at the hands of TAMUK's next adversary, Eckerd College. The Tritons recently got finished hosting their own home tournament, the Eckerd College Battle on the Bay, and they collected four wins without a defeat. Much like the Javelinas, those four home wins came after the season began with three straight losses. Paula Hoffman and Kaitlyn Sibson have formed coach Michelle Piantadosi-Lima's top tandem with a record of 6-1, including a 3-0 record in the top flight.
Florida Southern was one of the four teams to suffer a loss at the hands of Eckerd at the Battle on the Bay and they also dropped their first match at the event, which came at the hands of Tampa. Despite a 1-3 record, the Mocs still received votes in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll. Their trip to St. Petersburg represented the first time on the court for a squad that, like Tampa, is in its first year of existence.
To follow live stats for each match and also to find a recap once action concludes on both days in Deland, 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.
