HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The ULM beach volleyball team captured a pair of wins over (6) Southern Miss and (5) Mercer during Friday's action at the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament, but was eliminated by (2) UNCW to end the Warhawks' tournament run.
In Friday's first match versus Southern Miss, the Warhawks split the first four matches with the Golden Eagles. Laura Dennis and Sadie McAda got a point on the scoreboard for USM after beating
Kaylie Beck and
Tamsie Black 21-13, 21-16 in flight one.
Kaitlyn Beck and
Claire Williamson evened the match score 1-1 after a flight two win over Sarah Murczek and Ola Chudzik, 21-16, 21-15.
Madeline Marquez and
Kaitlyn Nowak won in straight sets (21-16, 21-17) over Ashlyn Rough and Dylan Russell in flight four before Madison Cassidy and Valeria Siakidou Papakyriakou won 21-18, 21-18 in flight three over
Eden Anderson and
Kate Taylor.
Maggie Cox and
Katie Felts rallied in the deciding match after trailing 14-12 in set three and roared back to clinch the win for the Warhawks with a 21-18, 13-21, 16-14 victory over Jessie Fairly and Carmen Delgado to give ULM a 3-2 win.
Beck and Williamson cruised to a 21-17, 21-10 win versus Mercer's second pair of Nicole O'Mara and Jordan Paddock to give the Warhawks an early cushion. Mercer responded when Reese Hood and Lexi Polychrones defeated Anderson and Taylor 21-19, 21-14 in flight three. Marquez and Nowak secured a 23-21, 21-17 win in flight four over Katy Corbett and Liv Diaz. The win was Nowak's 50th career victory. Cox and Felts clinched the match for the Warhawks once again in flight five with a 22-20, 21-16 win versus Hollis Engel and Alyssa Scoggins. Beck and Black finished their match with a win in three sets, 21-10, 15-21, 15-10, over Sydney Benson and Kate Hardie.
UNCW started its match versus ULM with a win in flight two after Maddy Folks and Charlotte Cronister defeated Beck and Williamson. Gabby LaPata and Sadie Sharkey defeated Beck and Black in flight one 21-15, 21-19 to go ahead 2-0. The Seahawks clinched with a 21-17, 21-12 in flight three with Ellie Bucci and Gracie Sistrunk defeating Anderson and Taylor. Cox and Felts won their third match of the day with an epic 29-27 first set win and a 21-12 win in set two. Marquez and Nowak narrowly dropped their match to Sarah Thompson and Bri Haggerty to wrap up the day (21-17, 16-21, 15-12).
