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UCA Beach Volleyball goes 0-3 at North Alabama Tournament
The Bears couldn’t get a win but did get some positive signs as they head into the ASUN Tournament.
FLORENCE, Ala. — Central Arkansas beach volleyball faced a demanding three-match tournament at North and dropped all three games, but showed enough fight in several close courts to carry some confidence into the postseason.
The Bears went 0-3 over the two-day event, falling to Southeastern Louisiana, North Alabama and Missouri State.
While the win column stayed empty, the weekend wasn’t without bright spots for a program that’s got the ASUN Conference Tournament circled on the calendar for April 22–24.
UCA opened the tournament against Southeastern Louisiana in what turned out to be the closest match of the entire weekend.
The Bears grabbed wins at the No. 3 and No. 5 positions, but it wasn’t quite enough to get over the finish line in a 3-2 loss.
Sophomore Ella Layzell and freshman Brooke Sharp handled their business at No. 3, rolling through their match in straight sets.
Meanwhile, junior Liliana Irizary and graduate student Anna Jaworski dropped the opening set before bouncing back to take the next two and secure a three-set victory at No. 5.
The problem was the top of the lineup. Southeastern Louisiana took three courts, including two tightly fought battles at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, which made the difference in the overall result.
A 3-2 loss is never fun, but it’s a far cry from a blowout and the Bears showed they’re capable of winning individual courts against quality competition.
Later that afternoon, UCA faced the host Lions and ran into a buzz saw. North Alabama won 5-0, but the margin on paper didn’t tell the whole story.
Several courts were genuine battles, including a three-set fight at the No. 5 position.
The Lions held control across all five flights, though and the Bears couldn’t find the openings they needed to get a point on the board.
Missouri State Wraps Up a Tough Weekend
The finale against Missouri State ended in another 5-0 loss, but once again the score didn’t fully reflect how some courts played out.
Senior Anna Linskey and freshman Natalie Blum pushed their No. 1 match all the way to a third set before Missouri State held on.
Missouri State ultimately took all five courts.
