GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – [SCHEDULE & RESULTS | BRACKET] The first round of elimination at the NAIA Women’s Beach Volleyball Invitational took place on Friday afternoon at the Greeneville Beach Volleyball Courts while teams battled through the quarterfinals to remain in the Battle for the Red Banner.
Quarterfinal 1: Vanguard (Calif.) def. Webber International (Fla.), 3-1
The match started with a split at the two’s and four’s positions. Maddi Nash and Madison Arnold of Vanguard captured the win at the two’s position and Delanie Johnson and Abby Baxter captured the win for Webber International at the four’s position.
The Lions went up 2-1 in the match after Hannah Wilmes and Emma Galloway completed their match in two sets.
With two courts remaining, Webber International looked to take the win at the three’s position as Leyni Young and Kendall Steinert won the first set and led in the second. On the next court, Kortney Hitt and Anna Broadhead of Vanguard claimed the first set and followed it with a strong 21-9 performance in the second set that clinched the match for the Lions.
This is the third time that the Lions have advanced to the semifinals.
Quarterfinal 2: Arizona Christian def. Saint Katherine (Calif.), 3-1
Arizona Christian started strong with wins at the two’s (Haley and Riley Brown) and four’s (Sydney Shaw and Brianna Boeckman) position.
In the following wave, Saint Katherine got a win on the board as Camille Harvey and Bailey Combs captured a win at the three’s position.
Amaya Brown and Emily Katzer of ACU clinched the match for the Firestorm at the five’s position before the one’s position could finish the match.
The two’s (Haley Brown and Riley Brown), four’s (Sydney Shaw and Brianna Boeckman) and five’s (Amaya Brown and Emily Katzer) pairs remain undefeated for Arizona Christian.
This is the first time that Arizona Christian has advanced to the semifinals.
Quarterfinal 3: Corban (Ore.) def. Park (Mo.), 3-1
Grecia Ung and Arianna Marino of Park, at the two’s position, captured the first win of the match in straight sets. Followed closely by Allyson Reid and Erin Scott of Corbin tying things up at one match apiece from the four’s position.
An early finish on the four’s court due to a medical forfeit put Corbin up two sets to one. The one’s and three’s continued play as Emmi Marks and Nicole Bantilan at the three’s position for Corbin clinched the match. The five’s pairs did not finish their second set after Corbin had won the first and was trailing in the second.
Dennis and Bischoff remain undefeated in the tournament and, with today’s quarterfinal win, hold a record of 21-5.
This is the third time that Corban has advanced to the semifinals.
Quarterfinal 4: OUAZ (Ariz.) def. Ave Maria (Fla.), 3-2
OUAZ had the first win of the match at the two’s position (Mattea Wilson and Olivia Andersh). Ave Maria tied things up at one match apiece after Hannah Jones and Beatriz Rissi won at the four’s position.
The teams continued to match each other as the three’s position went to Amanda Carlson and Grace Hughes of OUAZ and the five’s went to Abbey Grose and Paeton Hyde of Ave Maria.
It came down to the final match at the one’s position. The pairs went to three sets to decide the match. They mirrored each other and went point for point in the third set until a final run for Summer Hanks and Diana Enriquez led to a 15-12 set three win for the match to go in favor of the Spirit.
This is the first time that OUAZ has advanced to the semifinals.
The semifinals will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET and the championship match will follow at 2 p.m. ET.
