ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Missouri State beach volleyball team wrapped up its first road trip here Saturday, splitting its final two duals at the Battle on the Bay to move to to 8-4 on the year. 

The Bears opened their second day of competition against Saint Leo, falling to the Lions, 5-0. MSU's resilience shined, though, as the young Bears team bounced back in a hard-fought, 3-2, win over Eckerd College to close out their weekend. 

Playing in the first flight for MSU, Grayson Hall and Olivia Muriel notched a key victory for the Bears, grinding out a three-set (21-17, 15-21, 15-13) win over Eckerd's top flight of Kitana Lim and Agata Sklepik.

The Bears also garnered wins in the third and fourth flights, with the pairs of Olivia Rattler and Brooke Plessner and Manuela Niemeyer and MacKenzie Steele helping seal the win over Eckerd.  

In flight three, Rattler and Plessner's three-set battle came out in favor of the Bears, as the duo took down the Tritons' Anna Jupin and Addie White, 26-24, 17-21, 15-13. 

Playing in the fourth position for MSU, Niemeyer and Steele made quick work of Eckerd's Mariana OlivaresCely and Sophia Romigh. The freshman duo won in straight sets (21-9, 21-8) to improve their season record to 9-3.  

MSU will get a week off before traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, to compete in the TCU Tournament. The Bears will play Texas in a double header on Friday, March 24, before taking on FIU and Cal to conclude the tournament on Saturday, March 25. 

Results
Saint Leo 5, Missouri State 0
1. Aliya Fredette-Huffm/Jeanette Henderson (SLU) def. Grayson Hall/Olivia Murriel (MSU) 21-13, 21-18
2. Kayla David/Julia Panko (SLU) def. Becca Bach/Tyler Garrett (MSU) 21-10, 21-15
3. Emma Miller/Ignacia Cortinez (SLU) def. Olivia Rattler/Amanda Cleary (MSU) 21-7, 21-9
4. Clare Flanagan/Elizabeth Sandoval (SLU) def. Manuela Niemeyer/MacKenzie Steele (MSU) 21-17, 21-13
5. Erin Johnson/Daria Kowalik (SLU) def. Addison Crider/Riley Drew (MSU) 21-19, 21-10 

Missouri State 3, Eckerd 2
1. Grayson Hall/Olivia Murriel (MSU) def. Kitana Lim/Agata Sklepik (ECBVB23) 21-17, 15-21, 15-13
2. Joelle Coulter/Dana Dull (ECBVB23) def. Becca Bach/Tyler Garrett (MSU) 13-21, 21-16, 15-12
3. Brooke Plessner/Olivia Rattler (MSU) def. Anna Jupin/Addie White (ECBVB23) 26-24, 17-21, 15-13
4. Manuela Niemeyer/MacKenzie Steele (MSU) def. Mariana OlivaresCely/Sophia Romigh (ECBVB23) 21-9, 21-8
5. Jocelyn Escoffrey/Jessi Megrheblian (ECBVB23) def. Addison Crider/Amanda Cleary (MSU) 16-21, 21-11, 15-11 

#BearsUnite