GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Vanguard began the 2024 NAIA Beach Volleyball Invitational with a split in Pool B on Thursday at the Greeneville Beach Volleyball Complex.
The seventh-seeded Lions were aligned with No. 2 OUAZ, No. 3 Park (Mo.) and No. 6 Saint Katherine in Pool B.
The eighth-ranked Lions drew the Pirates and Spirit on the first day of pool play, contesting a pair of tight 3-2 matches. VU outlasted Park before falling to OUAZ in a rematch of the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament finals.
Gianna Pecile and Paige Cutwright posted a 2-0 record for the Lions as the No. 3 pair.
VU moved to 10-16 on the season. Park, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA, fell to 12-7. Top-ranked OUAZ improved to 20-9.
What Happened?
(#7) Vanguard 3, (#3) Park (Mo.) 2
The 2024 GSAC Pair of the Year, Emma Galloway and Hannah Wilmes clinched the 3-2 victory with a win at the ones.
The Lion tandem knocked off Jullia Alvarez and Serena Arruda with a 17-21, 21-8, 15-7 victory, which broke a 2-2 tie. It was the fifth straight win for the Galloway-Wilmes pairing.
The build up to the showdown at the ones started with a win at the No. 4 pair, where Mafalda Bras and Luna Martins won a closely contested 21-18, 21-19 match over Bailey Coffin and Logan Daniels. The Lions tied the score at 1-1 as Madi Nash and Madison Arnold took a three-set victory over Grecia Ung and Arianna Marino. The Lions eked out a 24-22 set one victory, lost 21-18 in the second set, and pummeled the Pirate pairing 15-5 in the third.
Cutwright and Pecile dominated their match at the threes, breezing to a 21-13, 21-12 win over Iza Ceratti and Carla Pons for a 2-1 VU lead.
Irene Verdino and Patri Ubeda kept the Pirates in contention, overcoming Kortney Hitt and Ana Broadhead in three sets. The 25-23, 12-21, 16-14 triumph for Park set up the showdown at the ones.
It was VU's third 3-2 win in its last four contests.
(#2) OUAZ 3, (#7) Vanguard 2
The Lions fell into a 2-0 hole as the Spirit avenged one of their losses from the GSAC championship match. Dayana Raygoza and Shea Marovich turned the tables on Coffin and Daniels, taking a 21-12, 21-12 victory.
Nash and Arnold lost for the third straight time against Olivia Andersh and Mattea Wilson, falling 24-22 and 21-14 at the twos.
VU fought back at the threes as Cutwright and Pecile took down Grace Hughes and Amanda Carlson by a 21-18, 21-9 score. The Lion duo defeated the OUAZ pairing for the third time in a row to cut the Spirit lead to 2-1.
However, OUAZ's ones got revenge on Galloway and Wilmes after dropping a pair of matches at the GSAC Tournament. The Spirit's Summer Hanks and Diana Enriquez clinched the team win with a 21-14, 25-23 decision.
Playing out the match at the fives, Hitt and Broadhead picked up a 21-17, 18-21, 15-11 win against Sam Baer and Gabriela Corrales.
Why Is It Important?: Every Lion pair except the fours won at least one match on the day.
What Was Said?: "Great battles today. It's very evident that these are the top eight teams in the nation," said Head Coach Kris Dorn. "It's always undesirable to lose…and it's always an incredible time to reflect and grow through trial. It's also always desirable to win…and it's always a time to rejoice together. We are still climbing this mountain together and we have full faith in these athletes and their ability to adjust."
What's Next?: The Lions conclude pool play on Friday against Saint Katherine at 8:30 a.m. (PT). How the Lions finish in Pool B will determine their seeding in the single-elimination eight-team bracket. Bracket play begins at 10:00 a.m. (PT) later Friday morning. The Lions will open bracket play against one of the four teams in Pool A.
