IRVINE, Calif. -- It was a tough first trip to the OC Great Park for Vanguard beach volleyball on Friday as the squad dropped a pair of hard-fought battles.  There were slim margins against Texas A&M-Kingsville, as VU fell 3-2, but CUI toppled Vanguard 5-0, as all five pairings had close scores.  Vanguard dropped to 8-11 at the end of the day, CUI goes to 18-7, and Kingsville to 15-6.
 
What Happened?  The Javelinas and Lions started with the even pairings and Cassie Smits Van Oyen and Gianna Pecile got the Blue and Gold a win at the fours, beating Meghan Stiefer and Emma Daugherty 21-17 and 21-16.  The other even pairing of Paige Cutwright and Madison Arnold took the second set against Madelyn Wallace and Kalani Vasquez 21-18, but the other two went to the Javelines 21-15 and 15-13. 
 
As the odd pairings kicked off, the third couplet finished next, but Kingsville grabbed it with a 2-0 win over Katie Alexander and Anne Mayfield 21-13 and 21-12.  Yet the Lions made a rebuttal in the fifth flight as Logan Daniels and Natalie Hill took down Clara Presmanes-Garate and Elizabeth Williams 21-15 and 21-18.  That made it come down to the top pairing, as Thea Snider and Emma Galloway forced the flight to go the distance, losing set one 22-20 but taking the second frame 21-18.  However, Rylan Pollard and Liana Huesca claimed the final period 15-7 to give Kingsville the 3-2 victory.
 
CUI 5 VU 0 The Lions made a great effort against the Golden Eagles, but it was not to be in the twin bill.  Cutwright and Arnold fell 21-11 and 21-10 at the twos to Korah Nordin and Cameron Solberg.  Olivia Medina and Eva Prewitt then upended Smits Van Oyen and Pecile 21-15 and 22-20, with that second period being the closest one of the entire encounter.  Snider and Galloway lost out to Kelissa Lemoine and Sara Ostojic 21-6 and 21-13 at the top flight, while Daniels and Hill fell to Ashly Rossi and Sam Campion 21-10 and 21-13 at the fives.  The third grouping brought the match to an end, as Gabby Reinking and Kelia Giusta won 21-14 and 21-5 over Alexander and Mayfield.

What was Said?  "Despite the outcomes, today was refreshing because it gave us an opportunity to really see what the NCAA DII beach volleyball scene looks like," Said Head Coach Kris Dorn.  "We've had so many tough matchups along the way and today was a great insight into how we can compete well in DII.  No doubt CUI will be a top-ranked team and all three of us will be at the national championships."

What's Next?  VU will play at the Great Park again on April 5, with Arizona Christian and CUI set for noon and 2:00 p.m. matches.