GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University beach volleyball team won the first set in 11 of the 12 matches and claimed the same number of match wins as the Mavericks cruised past visiting Texas A&M University-Kingsville in a pair of duals between NCAA Division II powerhouse programs on Friday afternoon here at the CMU Beach Courts.
The Mavericks won the first dual 4-1 and took the second with a 5-0 sweep while honoring their five seniors in between what were their final two duals of the regular season. The Mavericks also won both exhibitions matches as eight different Mavericks, including all five of their seniors, went 2-0 throughout the day.
CMU, the reigning AVCA Small College Beach National Champions, improved to 14-7 overall with the wins while the Javelinas, the 2018 champions as well as the 2019 and 2021 runners-up, fell to 9-15 on the year.
The two squads will compete in a pairs tournament on Saturday before both will head to this year's national tournament in Tavares, Florida next week.
Although the Mavericks dominated the team scores, they were certainly tested by the Javelinas as many of the sets were decided by narrow margins.
Fifth-year seniors
Macie Lachemann and
Holly Schmidt were amongst the group of 2-0 Mavericks as the winningest two Mavericks in program history claimed a pair of wins over Adrienne VanBrunt and Rylan Pollard in the top flight. Lachemann and Schmidt won the first match, 21-10, 21-10 and then squeaked out a 22-20 victory in the second set of the second dual after winning the first set of that match, 21-16.
Schmidt now has 42 career wins while Lachemann has 40.
Another fifth-year senior in
Tye Wedhorn also went 2-0 on the day as she and junior
Sabrina VanDeList won both of their Court 4 matches in the first wave of each dual. Both Mavericks now have 38 career victories as they moved ahead of current assistant coach
Ara Norwood for third place on the Maverick all-time wins chart.
Wedhorn and VanDeList were 21-19, 18-21, 15-5 winners over Kalani Vasquez and Meghan Steifer in the first dual and then had an easier 21-12, 21-17 victory over the same Javelina pair later in the day.
Meanwhile, the Maverick No. 5 pair of
Savannah Ott and
Hailey Peters, both of whom were also honored during Senior Day festivities, also went 2-0. Ott and Peters squeaked out a 24-22, 21-19 win over Taylor McCarthy and Jackie Alanis in the first dual before coming from a set down to win 17-21, 21-7, 15-8 over the same Javelina duo in the night-cap.
The Maverick No. 3 pair of
Jada Hall and
Gracyn Spresser also went 2-0 with two hard-fought 3-set wins. They defeated Kingville's Olivia Ziegler and Grace Gettys by a 21-16, 17-21, 15-13 margin in the first dual before holding on for a 21-16, 17-21, 15-11 win in the second round of the day.
The Javelinas' lone team point of the day came at No. 2 from Rylie Anderson and Madelyn Wallace, who came from a set down to defeat CMU's AVCA All-Americans
Savannah Spitzer and
Hahni Johnson. Anderson and Wallace won the first match, 20-22, 21-19, 15-10.
However, Spitzer and Johnson rolled over the Javelina pair, 21-13, 21-15, in the second dual.
On the exhibition court,
Sydney Leffler and
Rianne Brown won their 21-12, 21-18 match against Delaney Evans and Caitlin Wilson in the first duals. CMU's
Izzy Burns and
Lizzy Hood then knocked off Wilson and Elizabeth Williams by a 21-15, 21-19 margin later in the day.
The Mavericks have now won three duals over the Javelinas over the past 12 months after TAMUK had won each of the first three all-time meetings.
CMU remained perfect at home throughout their entire 8-season history with Friday's wins. The Mavs are now 14-0 all-time at home, including a 6-0 mark against other NCAA teams.
Colorado Mesa 4, Texas A&M-Kingsville 1
1.
Holly Schmidt/
Macie Lachemann (CMU-BVB) def. Andrienne VanBrunt/Rylan Pollard (TAMUK) 21-10, 21-10
2. Rylie Anderson/Madelyn Wallace (TAMUK) def.
Savannah Spitzer/
Hahni Johnson (CMU-BVB) 20-22, 21-19, 15-10
3.
Jada Hall/
Gracyn Spresser (CMU-BVB) def. Olivia Ziegler/Grace Gettys (TAMUK) 21-16, 17-21, 15-13
4.
Tye Wedhorn/
Sabrina VanDeList (CMU-BVB) def. Kalani Vasquez/Meghan Stiefer (TAMUK) 21-12, 21-17
5.
Savannah Ott/
Hailey Peters (CMU-BVB) def. Taylor McCarthy/Jackie Alanis (TAMUK) 24-22, 21-19
Ext.
Sydney Leffler/
Rianne Brown (CMU-BVB) def. Delaney Evans/Caitlin Wilson (TAMUK) 21-12, 21-18
Match Notes:
Texas A&M-Kingsville 9-14
Colorado Mesa 13-7
Order of finish: Doubles (4,2,3,1,5);
Official: Tony Clark T-1:55
Colorado Mesa 5, Texas A&M-Kingsville 0
1.
Holly Schmidt/
Macie Lachemann (CMU-BVB) def. Andrienne VanBrunt/Rylan Pollard (TAMUK) 21-16, 22-20
2.
Savannah Spitzer/
Hahni Johnson (CMU-BVB) def. Rylie Anderson/Madelyn Wallace (TAMUK) 21-13, 21-15
3.
Jada Hall/
Gracyn Spresser (CMU-BVB) def. Olivia Ziegler/Grace Gettys (TAMUK) 21-16, 17-21, 15-11
4.
Tye Wedhorn/
Sabrina VanDeList (CMU-BVB) def. Kalani Vasquez/Meghan Stiefer (TAMUK) 21-19, 18-21, 15-5
5.
Savannah Ott/
Hailey Peters (CMU-BVB) def. Taylor McCarthy/Jackie Alanis (TAMUK) 17-21, 21-17, 15-8
Ext.
Izzy Burns/
Lizzy Hood (CMU-BVB) def. Elizabeth Williams/Caitlin Wilson (TAMUK) 21-15, 21-19
Match Notes:
Texas A&M-Kingsville 9-15
Colorado Mesa 14-7
Order of finish: Doubles (2,4,1,5,3);
T-2:10
