Leo Garcia

Beach Volleyball 3/30/2023 12:58:00 PM Ryan Smith, Athletic Communications Coordinator

Javelinas travel to Corpus Christi for Conni & Jay Wise Islander Classic

TAMUK will battle a trio of NCAA Division I programs

KINGSVILLE, Texas — The Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team is headed to nearby Corpus Christi, Texas, to participate in the Conni & Jay Wise Islander Classic. The tournament will see them battle a trio of NCAA Division I programs, beginning Friday at 1 p.m. with Houston Christian at Waters Edge Park. Competition continues on Saturday, as the Javelinas face Stephen F. Austin at 11 a.m., ahead of a 1 p.m. matchup with host-school Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1 p.m.

The Javelinas (8-11) are coming off a strong showing at the ULM Bayou Bash, which saw the No. 3 pairing of junior Grace Gettys and freshman Olivia Zeigler go undefeated while the squad won three matches, including a sweep of Nichols State. The third flight has been the school's best, posting a 13-6 record thus far with an 8-2 mark across their last 10 matches. Additionally, the Javelinas are the lone NCAA Division II program to receive an invite to the tournament.

The Huskies (11-9) enter after a rough weekend at the Gamecock Grand Slam, falling three times on the campus of South Carolina, as the trio of losses abruptly halted a nine-game winning streak. They rank 32nd on the Pablo National Rankings, with the No. 2 duo of Lindsay Harris and Kristen Kleymeyer checking in at No. 18 on the College Beach Volleyball National Rankings, thanks to a 13-7 record.

After narrowly falling 3-2 earlier in the year, TAMUK looks to bounce back against the Lumberjacks (2-12), with the Gettys/Zeigler combo and the No. 4 tandem of newcomer Kalani Vasquez and freshman Meghan Stiefer each claiming victories. SFA came up empty last time out, falling to Central Arkansas and Arizona, with their two wins coming against TAMUK and North Carolina-Wilmington earlier in the year. The Lumberjacks rank 50th on the Pablo leaderboard, while the Javelinas sit 63rd entering the weekend.

The Islanders (15-8) are coming off a weekend that saw a Southland Conference regular season title, which will be celebrated prior to their matchup with TAMUK in a ceremony that will double as Senior Day. They split at the Tiger Beach Challenge, falling to No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 LSU to open the weekend before sweeping New Orleans and Spring Hill College on Day Two. Their third and fifth flights are each ranked with the No. 3 duo of Tori Johnson and Jade Bennett posting a 13-9 record, while Shea Slusser and Kela Moreno sit ninth among the No. 5's at 9-3. Overall, the team is No. 25 on the Pablo leader board.

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.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#25 Grace Gettys: 6' 0"; Junior

#13 Meghan Stiefer: 5' 10"; Freshman

#1 Olivia Zeigler: 5' 6"; Freshman

#3 Kalani Vasquez: 5' 3"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#25 Grace Gettys
: 6' 0"; Junior

#13 Meghan Stiefer
: 5' 10"; Freshman

#1 Olivia Zeigler
: 5' 6"; Freshman

#3 Kalani Vasquez
: 5' 3"; Freshman