KINGSVILLE, Texas – For the second consecutive year, the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team started the year 4-0 and they reached that benchmark by trouncing the Ottawa Braves, 5-0, and disposing of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, 4-1, on Saturday morning at the Javelina Beach Volleyball Courts in Kingsville, Texas.
The Javelinas also went undefeated in a season opening tournament in 2020 and 2017. The 2021 version of TAMUK beach volleyball is one win away from matching mark of five straight wins to begin the year, a program best set one season ago.
TAMUK vs. Ottawa
The Javelinas raced past the Braves for the second straight day without dropping a single set. Junior Meghan Merlino (Sacramento, Calif.) and freshman Macie Satterwhite (Callisburg, Texas) dominated in the fourth flight 21-4, 21-10 and senior TaylorLynn Noga (Anchorage, Alaska) and freshman Rylie Anderson (Justin, Texas) weren't far behind, winning the No. 5 match, 21-7, 21-11. Senior Shelby Tate (New Braunfels, Texas) and Christina Gragasin (Celina, Texas) breezed their way to a win at No. 6, 21-5, 21-5.
The top three flights started with juniors Tenley Housler (Bulverde, Texas) and Macy Berg (San Antonio, Texas) winning the second flight 21-11, 21-5. This victory put both players at 55 career wins, matching the Haley Hutchinson's program record.
The No. 1 match went to senior Olivia Nicholson (North Platte, Neb.) and sophomore Roxanne Morris (Goliad, Texas), 21-11, 21-6 and seniors Shelby Williams (New Braunfels, Texas) and Debra Rogers (Tulsa, Okla.) collected the third flight, 21-9, 21-9.
TAMUK vs. Stephen F. Austin
Against SFA, Merlino and Satterwhite got the Javelinas in front early with a fourth-flight sweep, 21-19, 21-9. In the No. 5 contest, Anderson and North dropped the first set before a 21-11 win in the second forced a decisive third set, where they completed their comeback, 23-25, 21-11, 15-10. Noga teamed with freshman Adrienne Van Brunt (Corpus Christi, Texas) to take the No. 6 match, 21-17, 21-12.
Rogers and Williams clinched their team's fourth straight victory with a 21-18, 21-19 triumph in the third flight and Nicholson Morris finished off the 4-1 win by capturing the No. 1 match, 21-15, 21-15.
The first road trip of the season for the Javelina beach volleyball team takes them to New Orleans, La. On March 5th and 6th, where they'll play three matches as part of the Bayou Beach Duals. Fans can stay up-to-date with everything related to Javelina beach volleyball during the season by following @JavelinaBeach and @JavelinaSports on Twitter and Instagram, liking the Javelina Sports Facebook page, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
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