NEW ORLEANS -- ULM's top pair of Zuzana Markova and Marcela Araya advanced to the final round of the Tulane Pelican Classic Pairs Tournament gold division bracket (double elimination), but lightning in New Orleans suspended the potential championship-deciding set.
The Warhawks' number two pair of Blanca Ocana and Michelle McNamee took second in the consolation bracket while silver division finalists Hope Pawlik and Hadley Swartz had a strong showing in the single-elimination tournament for the third, fourth and fifth seeds.
Araya and Markova won their first two matches in 2-0 fashion, but ULM's top tandem dropped their semifinal match to Kiriana Hirini and Bethanie Thomas of UAB by a 2-0 score in a rematch of Thursday's deciding contest.
Facing elimination, the Warhawks bounced back for a 2-1 victory over Tulane's Tea Juric and Jackie Wegner.
As ULM's No. 2 pair, Michelle McNamee and Blanca Ocana fell in extra time to Juric and Wegner in the second set of the semifinals.
“Our ones, twos and threes all played well today and beat some good teams. We switched our twos and threes and that worked well for us,” head sand volleyball coach David Fischer said.
“At the twos, Michelle and Blanca were fighting out points and scoring off the jump serve. The had match point against them against Webber Inter ational and battled back to win in three.”
At the number three spot, Hadley Swartz and Hope Pawlik advanced through single-elimination to the final, where they fell to UAB's Rachel Fairbanks and Sara Rishell 2-0.
“We had an all-freshmen pair at the number three spot. They played liked they learned something and were able to change strategy based on each situation. They came back to go up 11-10 in the second set of the silver (lower) division, but the lightning delay fizzled their momentum,” Fischer added.
The Warhawks resume play against Tulane on April 8 in Monroe. First serve is at 2:30 PM.
UPDATED FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Araya and Markova took the resumed third set from the gold final, but lost in three in the deciding match to Hirini and Thomas.
ULM Results
Key: WEB-Webber International, TLN-Tulane
Upper Division (Double Elimination)
First Round:
Marcela Araya/Zuzana Markova (ULM) def. Elizabeth Eddy/Helene Rancourt (WEB): 21-13, 21-17
Michelle McNamee/Blanca Ocana (ULM) def. Taylor Eiken/Katie Lindstrom (WEB): 25-23, 17-21, 15-10
Quarterfinals:
Marcela Araya/Zuzana Markova (ULM) def. Tea Juric/Jackie Wegner (TLN): 21-13, 21-17
Kiriana Hirini/Bethanie Thomas (UAB) def. Michelle McNamee/Blanca Ocana (ULM): 21-18, 21-16
Semifinals:
Kiriana Hirini/Bethanie Thomas (UAB) def. Marcela Araya/Zuzana Markova (ULM): 21-13, 21-17
Tea Juric/Jackie Wegner (TLN) def. Michelle McNamee /Blanca Ocana (ULM): 21-14, 25-23
Marcela Araya/Zuzana Markova (ULM) def. Tea Juric/Jackie Wegner (TLN): 21-12, 17-21, 15-10
Final:
Kiriana Hirini/Bethanie Thomas (UAB) vs Marcela Araya/Zuzana Markova (ULM)
UAB wins first set, 21-15; ULM wins second set, 21-17; match called due to weather and will be continued next weekend at the Fiesta at Siesta Key. ULM took third set, 15-5 UAB won the deciding match, 2-1.
Lower Division (Single Elimination)
First Round
Brittany Mock/Alida Schat (WEB) def. Celine Flores/Kaitlyn Shearer (ULM): 21-15, 21-9
Miah Diirell/Sarah Strasner (TLN) def. Rachel Arnason/Alannah Cullum (ULM): 21-17, 22-20
Quarterfinals:
Hope Pawlik/Hadley Swartz (ULM) def. Becca Howard/Lindsay Simmons (UAB): 21-15, 21-23, 15-10
Semifinals:
Hope Pawlik/Hadley Swartz (ULM) def. Briawna Mueller/Tara Sandbeck (WEB): 18-21, 21-16, 15-13
Finals:
Rachel Fairbanks/Sara Rishell (UAB) def. Hope Pawlik/Hadley Swartz (ULM): 21-14, 21-12
