TAVARES, Fla.— The Texas A&M-Kingsville beach volleyball team wrapped up competition at the 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association Small College Beach Volleyball Championships on Sunday as the squad collected a third-place finish out of the Silver Bracket. The Javelinas dropped an opening-round matchup with Saint Leo 3-1, before sweeping Carson-Newman, 3-0, to finish third in its bracket and seventh across all of NCAA Division II.

TAMUK vs. Saint Leo (Opening Round)
 
The Javelinas started the day by falling 3-1 to Saint Leo in the opening round of the Silver Bracket. The Lions jumped out in front, taking down the No. 2 duo of junior Rylie Anderson and freshman Madelyn Wallace 21-14, 23-21.
 
TAMUK bounced back in the fourth flight with the freshman combo of Meghan Stiefer and Kalani Vasquez cruising to a 21-14, 21-17 win that tied the contest.
 
SLU then bested the No. 3 tandem of junior Grace Gettys and freshman Olivia Zeigler 21-16, 21-19, putting the opposition one score away from victory.
 
The Lions took the first frame from junior Jackie Alanis and newcomer Taylor McCarthy 21-16, as the No. 5 tandem recovered, claiming the second stanza 21-16. SLU, however, prevailed, winning the third set 15-11 and securing their spot in the Silver Brackets championship match.
 
The defeat knocked the Javelinas into the third-place match, where they met Carson Newman after the Eagles fell to Spring Hill College in their opening dual.
 
TAMUK vs. Carson Newman (Third Place Match)
 
TAMUK then took down the Eagles 3-0, securing their position as the third-place team, after Alanis and McCarthy kickstarted the match with a decisive 21-7, 21-11 win.
 
Wallace and Anderson then posted a 21-16, 21-17 victory over the No. 2's of C-N, placing the Javelinas a point away from sweeping. 
 
Gettys and Zeigler then secured the win, 21-17, 21-12, in the third flight, finishing the sweep and awarding TAMUK third in the Silver Bracket and seventh across all of NCAA Division II.
 
The Javelinas conclude the 2023 campaign with a 12-18 record, going 3-3 across the AVCA tournament. Meanwhile, the No. 5 tandem of Alanis and McCarthy paced the squad with five victories over three days of action. Additionally, Tampa was crowned the 2023 AVCA Small College NCAA Division II National Champion, while Colorado Mesa was the runner-up and Concordia placed third.
 
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