HUNTSVILLE, Ala.— Colorado Mesa University's Ellie Ask and Barett Nolan opened up play at the AVCA Beach National Championships with a pair of Pool 2 losses on Friday here at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex.
 
Ask & Nolan were the 63^rd seed in the 64-pair tournament and dropped their opening match by a 21-13, 21-8 margin to second-seeded Ashleigh Adams and Marketa Svozilova of Florida Atlantic in their Pool 2 opener.
 
The Maverick duo then dropped a 22-20, 21-12 decision to Stetson's Julia Czurylo and Hanna Gubik in the second round of modified pool play, which went according to form.  The Hatters' pair was seeded 34^th.
 
Adams and Svozilova were able to defeat UAB's Jasmine Haas and Olivia Stant, seeded 31^st, to win the pool.
 
The Maverick pair, one of just two from NCAA Division II institutions in the entire field, will continue the tournament on Saturday playing in the 49^th place bracket.

The Mavs will play Florida International's Aleksandra Chudzik and Arianna Franklin in their first match on Saturday, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CST (10 a.m. Mountain).