BATON ROUGE, La. – Seniors Debra Rogers (Tulsa, Okla.) and Shelby Williams (New Braunfels, Texas) fought their way to three straight victories and helped the Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team earn a 3-2 decision over the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, while also being defeated by the LSU Tigers, 4-1, and the Spring Hill Badgers, 3-2, on the final day of the Battle at the Bayou at the LSU Beach Volleyball Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge, La.
This 1-2 day puts the Javs' record at 11-11 through 22 matches.
"Playing five matches in 30 hours is difficult," said coach Tanya Allen, "but the girls worked very hard and embraced the challenge. We did a lot of good things and a couple pairs really elevated their play this weekend. I look forward to seeing how we do at the national tournament because there will be a lot of tough competition."
TAMUK vs. ULM
The Javelinas earned straight set victories at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 to best the Warhawks, who'd previously beaten the Javs seven times in eight matches, including twice in 2021.
In the third flight, freshman Macie Satterwhite (Callisburg, Texas) and junior Tenley Housler (Bulverde, Texas) used a 7-1 run to break a 6-6 tie in the first set and never led by fewer than three after that to take the frame, 21-16. They started the next set by notching seven of the first eight points and didn't look back en route to a 21-16, 21-14 final.
In their opening game, Rogers and Williams mounted a comeback from an 18-16 deficit to steal the opening set and Williams finished the uprising with a perfectly placed attack followed by an ace. In the next frame, the two seniors erased an 11-9 ULM lead by winning nine of the next 11 rallies and rode that momentum to a 21-19, 21-14 triumph.
Freshmen Rylie Anderson (Justin, Texas) and Emily North (Red Oak, Texas) found themselves trailing 11-9 to begin the No. 4 match, but responded by rattling off a 12-4 run capped by a kill from North to seal the first stanza. North and Anderson then managed a narrow escaped in the second to lock up a 21-16, 21-19 finish that put the match in the win column for TAMUK.
TAMUK vs. LSU
The Javelinas nearly pulled off an upset against the Tigers with an effort that was buoyed by a 21-18, 21-18 victory in the No. 2 flight by Williams and Rogers. Housler and Satterwhite and North and Anderson both battled their way to a split through two sets, but in both instances, LSU's tandems won the third frame, allowing the home team to hold off TAMUK.
TAMUK vs. Spring Hill
Rogers and Willliams collected their third win of the day by capturing the No. 2 match against SHC, 21-16, 21-19 and Housler and Satterwhite followed suit with a sweep of their own, 21-11, 21-19. In the No. 6 flight, senior TaylorLynn Noga (Anchorage, Alaska) and junior Kapri Pelle (Auburn, Calif.) came out on top, 25-23, 21-18. Unfortunately for the Javs, they couldn't lock up the third point they needed, allowing the Badgers to come away with the win.
The Javelinas' next road trip brings them to Tavares, Fla., the site of the 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association National Tournament, which will begin on Friday. 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.
Get the Official Javelina Athletics Mobile App presented by Whataburger today! Download on the App Store or Get It on Google Play to keep up with all the news, scores and updates of your favorite Javelinas
