KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team scored a clean sweep of the Missouri Baptist Spartans in their first home match of 2019, but finished the afternoon with losses against the Houston Baptist Huskies, 3-2, and the San Jose State Spartans, 4-1 on the first day of the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic on Friday at the Javelina Beach Courts in Kingsville, Texas.
TAMUK's two defeats snapped what had been a 13-game home winning streak and puts the squad's record at 2-3.
TAMUK vs. Missouri Baptist
The Javs dropped only a single set on their way to a 5-0 victory, a nearly identical result to last year's meeting between these programs. Freshman Christina Gragasin (Celina, Texas) and junior TaylorLynn Noga (Anchorage, Alaska) got the Javelinas on the board first in the fourth slot. They took the first set with ease before battling to take the second as well, winning by scores of 21-13, 21-18. Juniors Maelee Sowa (Sealy, Texas) and Kadi Shipman (Georgetown, Texas) also swept the sixth flight, 21-15, 21-17.
Freshmen Lauren Kadilis (Spring Branch, Texas) and Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) had a tougher time in the fifth flight, dropping the first frame, 25-23, but they quickly rebounded, winning five of the final six points in the second to force a decisive third set. There, they erased an early 4-1 deficit and won the match in extra points, 23-25, 21-11, 17-15.
The top three flights all jumped out to early leads and had little trouble disposing of their opponents. Sophomore Macy Berg (San Antonio, Texas) and senior Haley Hutchinson (Georgetown, Texas) breezed to a 21-8, 21-11 triumph in the third spot and the No. 1 flight went to freshman Kylexus Block (San Antonio, Texas) and senior Madison Brabham (Kingwood, Texas), 21-14, 21-11. Sophomores Whitney Walker (Bellingham, Wash.) and Tenley Housler (Bulverde, Texas) sealed the sweep, winning the second flight, 21-9, 21-17.
TAMUK vs. Houston Baptist
The Huskies quickly jumped in front by notching victories in the fourth, fifth and sixth flights. Lauren Huggins and Conley Harris topped Gragasin and Noga at No. 4 and the fifth flight went to Lindsey Harris and Brennan Miller, 25-23, 21-17. Danielle Wheeler and Rayann Rabius edged Sowa and Shipman in No. 6, 21-17, 22-20. Aeriel Horton and Toni Hinojosa clinched the match for the Huskies by winning the first flight, 21-19, 21-15.
The Javelinas didn't quit, however. Hutchinson and Berg scored their second sweep of the day out of No. 3, winning, 21-17, 21-16. Housler and Walker bounced back after the first stanza went against them, 29-27. They stole the second set, 21-17 before a narrow 15-11 triumph in the third.
TAMUK vs. San Jose State
In a contest that included four sets that went to extra points, the Spartans earned a win that was closer than the 4-1 final. In fourth flight, Thaliana Grajeda and Kaitlynn Zdroik slipped past Gragasin and Noga, 22-20, 21-13 and Julia Golbeck and Sarah Smevog scored a similar win against Murff and Kadilis, 21-13, 23-21. The sixth flight went to Haylee Nelson and Fernanda Vido, 21-9, 21-11, over junior Melanie Casteel (Dallas, Texas) and sophomore Shelby Tate (New Braunfels, Texas).
SJSU clinched the win by taking the first flight, 21-13, 21-17, and the third, 25-23, 21-14, but Brabham and Block pulled out a nip-and-tuck match in the No. 2 bracket. In a contest where two points decided each set, TAMUK's tandem grabbed the opener, 22-20, before dropping the second frame, 21-19. In a back-and-forth final set, they notched a 15-13 victory, their second triumph of the day.
The Javelinas close out the season's first weekend with two matches on Saturday, starting with the New Mexico Lobos at 9 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. clash with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks. Fans can keep up with Javelina Beach Volleyball by following @JavelinaBeach on Twitter and @javelinasports and @JavelinaBeach on Instagram, liking Javelina Sports on Facebook and visiting Javelinasports.com.
