MONROE, La. – The ULM beach volleyball team capped off the final day of the ULM Beach Invitational with consecutive wins over New Orleans, 5-0, Central Arkansas, 4-1, and Southeastern Louisiana, 4-0. It is the longest streak for the Warhawks since they won four straight between April 6 and April 13, 2019.
The Warhawks were led by the play of their Top-3 teams on Saturday, which were a perfect 9-0 in three matches. ULM's pairing of
Julia Blazek and
Audrey Brooks,
Anna Demmer and
Katie McKay and
Kayla Gallant and
Abigail Elder won seven of those nine matches in two sets.
Central Arkansas 3, ULM 2
The two teams were deadlocked at 2-2 tie, with the decisive point of the match delayed due to darkness, when the match between the No. 1 seeds was resumed on Saturday morning. Central Arkansas' Alyson Brinkley and Colene Hamilton fought past an opening set loss to win the final two sets and help push the Bears to a 3-2 win by defeating Blazek and Brooks by scores of 9-21, 21-17, 15-13.
ULM grabbed one of its two points as No. 3 seeds Gallant and Elder emerged with a 21-10, 21-14 victory over Makenna Schmitt and Shannon Stone. The other Warhawk point came by virtue of a 21-16, 18-21, 22-20 victory by
Abbey Bufkin and
Elizabeth Moreland, who downed Julia Oravec and Kelsie Sager in a meeting of No. 4 seeds.
Central Arkansas' tandem of Evelyn Griffith and Faith Hasness fought past
Anna Demmer and
Katie McKay to earn a 21-16, 21-19 win in the battle of No. 2 seeds. Teammates Kayla Cook and Bria Garmon were responsible for the point for the Bears, defeating
Brooke Hoven and
Avery Reynolds by scores of 27-25 and 21-8 when the No. 5 seeds clashed.
1. Alyson Brinkley/Colene Hamilton (UCA) def.
Julia Blazek/
Audrey Brooks (ULM) 9-21, 21-17, 15-13
2. Evelyn Griffith/Faith Hasness (UCA) def.
Anna Demmer/
Katie McKay (ULM) 21-16, 21-19
3.
Kayla Gallant/
Abigail Elder (ULM) def. Makenna Schmitt/Shannon Stone (UCA) 21-10, 21-14
4.
Abbey Bufkin/
Elizabeth Moreland (ULM) def. Julia Oravec/Kelsie Sager (UCA) 21-16, 18-21, 22-20
5. Kayla Cook/Bria Garmon (UCA) def.
Brooke Hoven/
Avery Reynolds (ULM) 27-25, 21-8
ULM 5, New Orleans 0
The Warhawks posted their first 5-0 win of the season as they swept their way past in-state foe New Orleans in Saturday's first match.
ULM's No. 1 seeded tandem of Blazek and Brooks were the only Warhawks to endure a three-set match, edging the tandem of Veronica Corcoran and Victoria Corcoran by scores of 21-18, 18-21 and 15-9. Teammates, and No. 2 seeds Elder and Gallant came through with a 21-14, 21-16 win over Allie Carr and Maxine Hayes.
The Warhawks picked up a 21-15, 23-21 win from third-seeded pair of McKay and Demmer, who defeated Alexa Spartz and Brianna Vega. The fourth-seeded duo of Bufkin and Moreland also provided ULM with a point, downing Madeline Drake and Liz Galanella by scores of 21-16, 21-18.
1.
Julia Blazek/
Audrey Brooks (ULM) d. Veronica Corcoran/Victoria Corcoran (UNO) 21-18, 18-21, 15-9
2.
Abigail Elder/
Kayla Gallant (ULM) d. Allie Carr/Maxine Hayes (UNO) 21-14, 21-16
3.
Katie McKay/
Anna Demmer (ULM) d. Alexa Spartz/Brianna Vega (UNO) 21-15, 23-21
4.
Abbey Bufkin/
Elizabeth Moreland (ULM) d. Madeline Drake/Liz Galanella (UNO) 21-16, 21-18
5. Team/Team (ULM) d. Team /Team (UNO) New Orleans Forfeit
ULM 3, Central Arkansas 2
ULM avenged its early setback to Central Arkansas by winning the Saturday clash by a 3-2 margin. Among those victories by the Warhawks was a two-set triumph by Blazek and Brooks, who came away with a 21-19, 21-17 victory over Brinkley and Hamilton.
Elder and Gallant, the Warhawks' second seeds, emerged with a 21-17, 21-12 win over Griffith and Hasness. ULM completed the sweep of the Top-3 seeds when Demmer and McKay earned a three-set victory (21-12, 22-24, 15-8) over Schmitt and Stone.
The Bears earned their first point in the match as the No. 4 seeding of Oravec and Sager emerged with a 21-19, 21-17 win over Bufkin and Moreland. Cook and Garmon topped ULM's
Holland Ponthieux and Reynolds 21-13, 21-15.
1.
Julia Blazek/
Audrey Brooks (ULM) d. Alyson Brinkley/Colene Hamilton (UCA) 21-19, 21-17
2. Abbie Elder/
Kayla Gallant (ULM) d. Evelyn Griffith/Faith Hasness (UCA) 21-17, 21-12
3.
Anna Demmer/
Katie McKay (ULM) d. McKenna Schmitt/Shannon Stone (UCA) 21-12, 22-24, 15-8
4. Julia Oravec/Kelsey Sager (UCA) d.
Abbey Bufkin/
Elizabeth Moreland (ULM) 21-19, 21-17
5. Kayla Cook/Bria Garmon (UCA) d.
Holland Ponthieux/
Avery Reynolds 21-13, 21-15
ULM 5, Southeastern Louisiana 0
ULM rattled off its third straight win defeating Southeastern Louisiana by a 5-0 margin in the final match of the ULM Beach Invitational.
Brooks and Blazek picked up their third victory of the afternoon, 21-11, 22-20, when the No. 1 pair took down Meagan Scuderi and Mikayla Richard. Elder and Gallant followed suit with a 21-7, 21-12 victory over fellow No. 2 pair Hannah Barash and Michele Mirarchi.
ULM received a point from No. 3 seeds McKay and Demmer, who defeated Eryn Wilks and Marisa Calvaruso in straight sets 21-14, 21-9. The toughest battle of the afternoon came in the fourth-seeded matchup of ULM's Bufkin and Moreland, who went to three sets with Linsey Sackett and Nylissa Snagg before claiming a 21-18, 18-21, 15-8 win.
1.
Audrey Brooks/
Julia Blazek (ULM) d. Meagan Scuderi/Mikayla Richard (SELA) 21-11, 22-20
2. Abbie Elder/
Kayla Gallant (ULM) d. Hannah Barash/Michele Mirarchi (SELA) 21-7, 21-12
3.
Katie McKay/
Anna Demmer (ULM) d. Eryn Wilks/Marisa Calvaruso (SELA) 21-14, 21-9
4.
Abbey Bufkin/
Elizabeth Moreland (ULM) d. Linsey Sackett/Nylissa Snagg (SELA) 21-18, 18-21, 15-8
5. Team /Team (ULM) d. Team /Team (SELA) SELA Forfeit
The Warhawks now turn their attention to the Fight in the Fort, which is being played in Fort Worth, Texas, and begins March 19 when they take on TCU and Stephen F. Austin in a doubleheader.
