PHOENIX— The Colorado Mesa University beach volleyball team took a 2-0 lead but dropped another tough 3-2 decision to the Saint Mary's College Gaels in the Mavs' final match of the Grand Canyon University Tournament and their 4-day, 6-match stint in Arizona on Sunday morning here at the GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium.
The Mavericks are now 4-2 on the season while the Gaels improved to 2-1 before falling to 2-2 with a 5-0 loss to the host and 18
th-ranked Lopes later in the morning.
The Gaels had also come from 2-1 down to defeat the Mavericks, 3-2 on Saturday.
In Sunday's match-up, the Mavs were able to get out to a quick start as
Taylor Scherff and
Jessica Passi won 21-14, 21-10 over Renne Nachtigall and Genevieve Baine at No. 4. That win avenged the Gael duo's win on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavs then went up 2-0 as
Riley Daugherty and
Lizzy Hood completed a perfect 6-0 week with a 21-12, 19-21, 15-9 win over Nya Crump and Chloe Swanson, which was a different pairing from Saturday's encounter.
However, the Gaels were able to turn things around, claiming straight set wins in the first and third flights before Delaney Nicholls and Grace Travis squeaked out an 18-21, 21-13, 15-13 win over CMU's
Lucy Kaufman and
Izzy Burns at No. 5.
The Mavericks will continue the young season next Friday and Saturday, playing four matches against Texan opponents at the Javelina Beach Showdown in Kingsville, Texas. They will begin the weekend against NCAA Division II rival and host Texas A&M-Kingsville and will also face new NAIA program Wayland Baptist on Friday (Feb. 28) before taking on Division I foes UTEP and Tarleton State on Saturday (Mar. 1).
