LONG BEACH, Calif.— The Colorado Mesa University beach volleyball squad got their 2018 season underway on Monday facing Missouri State University and No. 8 ranked Long Beach State University in a tri-dual at the LBSU Sand Courts.
 
The Mavericks dropped the opening match to the Missouri State Bears, a team they will face three times this week, 4-1 but received a 22-20, 21-14 win from Katie Scherr and Taylor Woods in the top flight and a thrilling 3-set exhibition victory from Julia Baskin and Rachael Perrine (21-15, 12-21, 16-14), to highlight the day.
 
CMU then fell 5-0 to LBSU.
 
Long Beach State, which dropped a spot to eighth in the weekly AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Poll, which was released Monday, also defeated Missouri State, a first-year NCAA Division I program, 5-0 to begin the 3-match day.  The Beach is now 5-1 while Missouri State is 1-2.
 
Scherr finished the match against Missouri State's Veronica Snelling and Taylor Fricano with 12 kills while Woods had nine kills and 11 digs.
 
They also put up a good fight against LBSU's Nele Barber and Rachel Neito but went down 21-11, 21-15 later in the day.  Woods had six kills while Scherr finished with four in that match.
 
CMU Coach David Skaff used the same 1-5 lineup in both matches but did partner Perrine with Ashton Reese in an exhibition match against the 49ers, won by Hanna Matta and Marisa Ramsey.
 
Ara Norwood and Natalee Todd also nearly pulled out some set wins in the No. 5 spot for CMU.  That pair fell 21-17 and 21-19 to Lynsey Wright and Ivy Reynolds of Missouri State before dropping a 21-17, 21-8 decision to Alexis Patterson and Emma Kirst of LBSU.
 
The Mavericks will head to El Cajon, Calif. and Grossmont College on Tuesday to play San Diego Mesa, Concordia Irvine and the hosts in three matches starting at noon (PST).  Concordia-Irvine is the only NCAA Division II opponent on the Mavericks' 2018 schedule.

Missouri State 4, Colorado Mesa 1
1. Katie Scherr/Taylor Woods (CMU-BVB) def. Veronica Snelling/Taylor Fricano (MSU) 22-20, 21-14
2. Julia Hanson/Aubrey Cheffey (MSU) def. Hana Peterman/Megan Gianinetti (CMU-BVB) 21-19, 21-15
3. Sam Brinkmann/Mikaela Mosquera (MSU) def. Kasie Gilfert/Samantha Ritter (CMU-BVB) 21-15, 21-16
4. Caroline Finnell/Sarah Demmer (MSU) def. Hailey Crane/Lindy Dixon (CMU-BVB) 21-10, 21-17
5. Lynsey Wright/Ivy Reynolds (MSU) def. Ara Norwood/Natalee Todd (CMU-BVB) 21-17, 21-19
Ext. Julia Baskin/Rachael Perrine (CMU-BVB) def. Maddie Back/Keylee Hawkins (MSU) 21-15, 12-21, 16-14
 
#8 Long Beach State 5, Colorado Mesa 0
1. Nele Barber/Rachel Neito (LBSU) def. Taylor Woods/Katie Scherr (CMU-BVB) 21-11, 21-15
2. Anete Brenke/Sasha Karelov (LBSU) def. Hana Peterman/Megan Gianinetti (CMU-BVB) 21-7, 21-9
3. Kristyna Adamcikova/Hailey Harward (LBSU) def. Samantha Ritter/Kasie Gilfert (CMU-BVB) 21-7, 21-10
4. Megan Kruidhof/Claire Newlander (LBSU) def. Lindy Dixon/Hailey Crane (CMU-BVB) 21-6, 21-10
5. Alexis Patterson/Emma Kirst (LBSU) def. Natalee Todd/Ara Norwood (CMU-BVB) 21-17, 21-8
Ext. Hanna Matt/Marisa Ramsey (LBSU) def. Ashton Reese/Rachael Perrine (CMU-BVB) 21-9, 21-8