Richmond, KY – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) beach volleyball team extended its winning streak to eight matches after a 3-2 win against Eastern Kentucky and 5-0 victory against Liberty on the final day of the EKU Beach Tournament, Saturday, at the Eastern Kentucky Beach Volleyball Facility.
Austin Peay State University grabbed the quick advantage in the day’s first match against EKU, as Karli Graham and Tristin Smith improved to 5-4 on the season after defeating the Colonels’ No. 5 pairing of Elizabeth Fonvielle and Chloe Mason, 24-22, 21-15.
The Colonels answered with a win on the No. 4 line, defeating Tegan Seyring and Erin Eisenhart, but Jamie Seward and Elizabeth Wheat won their match from the No. 3 position, 23-21, 23-21, to regain APSU’s lead. Seward and Wheat improved to 7-4 this season following their straight-set win against EKU’s Bella Williams and Rachel Mueller.
Marlayna Bullington and Kelsey Mead had a six-match winning streak come to an end following a 21-15, 21-17 loss to Eastern Kentucky’s Shannon Stone and Hannah Keating in the No. 1 pairing.
Despite dropping their first set, 21-17, Chloee McDaniel and Mikayla Powell came back to win in three sets and clinch the win for APSU from the No. 2 position. The clinch is the second in as many days for McDaniel and Powell, as they also secured the Govs’ 3-2 comeback victory against Liberty yesterday.
With the win against EKU, Austin Peay State University improved to 10-5 and 6-2 all-time against Eastern Kentucky.
The Governors claimed their season’s 11th win and fourth sweep in a 5-0 victory against Liberty in the tournament finale.
Seyring and Eisenhart won their fifth match of the spring with a straight-set, 21-9, 21-7 win from the No. 4 position. Smith and Graham’s match from the No. 5 line was the next to go final, as the duo earned their sixth win of the season against Liberty’s Abigail Luke and Emma Taylor.
Bullington and Mead avenged their earlier loss with a commanding, 21-16, 21-9 win from the No. 1 position, clinching APSU’s eighth-straight win.
With the result decided Seward and Wheat earned a 21-13, 21-14 win from the No. 3 court, while McDaniel and Powell won a pair of close sets, coming away with a 21-19, 24-22 victory.
The APSU Govs remain on the road for their penultimate tournament of the regular season when they participate in the two-day, five-team UAB Beach Classic at the UAB Beach Volleyball Courts in Birmingham, Alabama.
APSU begins the tournament with a Friday 8:00am match against Jacksonville State before hosting Alabama-Birmingham at 2:00pm later that afternoon. It then wraps up the event with 8:00am and 2:00pm contests against Louisiana-Monroe and Mercer, respectively.
For news and updates on everything APSU beach volleyball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsBVB) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
EKU Beach Tournament Day Two Results
Austin Peay 3, Eastern Kentucky 2
1. Shannon Stone/Hannah Keating def Marlayna Bullington/Kelsey Mead, 21-15, 21-17
2. Chloee McDaniel/Mikayla Powell def. Paityn Walker/Sarah Mitchell, 17-21, 21-16, 15-13
3. Jamie Seward/Elizabeth Wheat def. Bella Williams/Rachel Mueller, 23-21, 23-21
4. EK Lonergan/Maddy Campbell def. Tegan Seyring/Erin Eisenhart, 24-22, 21-15
5. Karli Graham/Tristin Smith def. Elizabeth Fonvielle/Chloe Mason, 24-22, 21-15
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 2*
Austin Peay 5, Liberty 0
1. Marlayna Bullington/Kelsey Mead def. Lizzy Armstrong/Kaitlyn Holbrook, 21-16, 21-9
2. Chloee McDaniel/Mikayla Powell def. Heather Forton/Cara Leckloder, 21-19, 24-22
3. Jamie Seward/Elizabeth Wheat def. Grace Cropper/Sydnie Metzker, 21-13, 21-14
4. Tegan Seyring/Erin Eisenhart def. Taylor Arnold/Jillian Kater, 21-9, 21-7
5. Tristin Smith/Karli Graham def. Abigail Luke/Emma Taylor, 21-11, 21-15
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1*, 3, 2
