NEW ORLEANS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team started the second day of the New Orleans Invitational with a 4-1 triumph over the Spring Hill Badgers, but dropped their next two contests, 3-2, to the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and 5-0 to the No. 20 Tulane Green Wave on Saturday in New Orleans.
TAMUK vs. Spring Hill
Straight set wins in the fourth and fifth flights got the Javelinas started against SHC. Freshmen Emily North (Red Oak, Texas) and Macie Satterwhite (Callisburg, Texas) outfought their opponents at No. 4 to come out on top, 21-17, 21-18. Junior Shelby Tate (New Braunfels, Texas) and freshman Rylie Anderson (Justin, Texas) battled their way to a victory in the No. 5 match, 21-19, 21-15. The sixth match was won by senior Maelee Sowa (Sealy, Texas) and freshman Kailey Estrada (San Antonio, Texas), 21-14, 21-17.
Both Meghan Merlino (Sacramento, Calif.) and Macy Berg (San Antonio, Texas) in the second flight and Kapri Pelle (Auburn, Calif.) and Shelby Williams (New Braunfels, Texas) in the third match were forced to come from behind, but they were equal to the task in each instance. Merlino and Berg dropped the first set by 14 points, but edged SHC's No. 2's, 21-19, in the next frame before dominating the final matchup for a 7-21, 21-19, 15-8 final. Pelle and Williams also took a second set nail-biter before completing their comeback, 15-21, 21-19, 15-10.
TAMUK vs. Southern Mississippi
North and Satterwhite found themselves in a barnburner against the Golden Eagles, but persevered in another contest that went the distance and ended with a 25-23, 19-21, 15-13 final. Another three-set affair went to Merlino and Berg in the second flight and they got the Javs their second point, 18-21, 21-15, 15-9 and Sowa and senior Melanie Casteel (Dallas, Texas) won in the sixth slot, 21-16, 13-21, 15-13, but that would be all for the Javs. The Golden took the other three matches to earn the win.
TAMUK vs. Tulane
Williams and Pelle fared the best against the Green Wave, taking the first set 23-21, but the tandem of Ashton Mares and Ellie Leitko came back to win the match in three. Tulane would not drop another match as they captured a sweep.
The Javelinas will be in Phoenix, Ariz. starting on Friday, when they'll take on Ottawa University at 3 p.m. at the Desert Dual. To stay current with everything related to Javelina Beach Volleyball all year long, follow @JavelinaBeach on Twitter and @javelinasports and @JavelinaBeach on Instagram, like Javelina Sports on Facebook and visit Javelinasports.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
