ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – With several hard-fought pairs highlighting the day, the Missouri State beach volleyball team dropped its first two matches at the Battle on the Bay here Friday, moving to 7-3 on the season.
In the Bears' first road trip of their 2023 campaign, MSU dropped a 4-1 contest to Palm Beach Atlantic (5-6) before falling 5-0 to the University of Tampa (3-8) in the team's second match of the day.
Competing in the fifth flight for the Bears, Addison Crider and Riley Drew gave the Bears a victory against Palm Beach Atlantic, defeating Julia Golichowski and Sydney Wagner in a two-set sweep, 21-17, 21-17.
In the second and third flights for the Bears, both pairs took their first opponents to three sets, apiece. In flight number two, Olivia Muriel and Grayson Hall dropped a close contest, falling to Ashleigh Holweger and Gabriella Aziz, 20-22, 21-11, 15-11, before falling to Tampa's Cassidy Ehrie and Angel Williams (21-18, 21-10).
Also going to three sets against a pair from Palm Beach Atlantic, Manuela Niemeyer and MacKenzie Steele suffered their first defeat of the season. The freshman duo fell in a hard-fought, 21-10, 17-21, 15-11, battle with Natalie Skopalova and Savannah DeCarlo. Niemeyer and Steele also took Tampa's Nevaeh Wolfe and Hailey Wolfe to three sets in the Bears' second dual of the day, dropping a close, 21-13, 20-22, 17-1, contest.
The Bears will continue their weekend Saturday when they face off against Saint Leo and Eckerd to conclude the tournament. The first matches will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the second dual set for 2:30 p.m.
Results
Palm Beach Atlantic 4, Missouri State 1
Flight 1: Payton Brunick/Julia Oswald (UT) def. Becca Bach/Tyler Garrett (MSU) 21-15, 21-13
Flight 2: Ashleigh Holweger/Gabriella Aziz (PBABVB) def. Grayson Hall/Olivia Murriel (MSU) 20-22, 21-11, 15-11
Flight 3: Natalie Skopalova/Savannah DeCarlo (PBABVB) def. MacKenzie Steele/Manuela Niemeyer (MSU) 21-10, 17-21, 15-11
Flight 4: Abigail Mason/Karla Cantero (PBABVB) def. Brooke Plessner/Olivia Rattler (MSU) 21-13, 21-14
Flight 5: Addison Crider/Riley Drew (MSU) def. Julia Golichowski/Sydney Wagner (PBABVB) 21-17, 21-17
Tampa 5, Missouri State 0
Flight 1: Payton Brunick/Julia Oswald (UT) def. Becca Bach/Tyler Garrett (MSU) 21-15, 21-13
Flight 2: Cassidy Ehrie/Angel Williams (UT) def. Grayson Hall/Olivia Murriel (MSU) 21-18, 21-10
Flight 3: Nevaeh Wolfe/Hailey Wolfe (UT) def. Manuela Niemeyer/MacKenzie Steele (MSU) 21-13, 20-22, 17-11
Flight 4: Madison Brunick/Keely Hamilton (UT) def. Amanda Cleary/Olivia Rattler (MSU) 21-15, 21-14
Flight 5: Kalli Cors/Alivia Horn (UT) def. Addison Crider/Riley Drew (MSU) 21-19, 21-19
#BearsUnite
