TAVARES, Fla. – Amongst the best in AVCA Small Colleges for Division III, no. 7 seeded East Texas Baptist University made history in Florida at the national championship tournament. ETBU went 2-1 on Saturday advancing to the Champions Bracket. On Sunday, ETBU finished fourth, overall, as they pushed two of the top three teams in the nation.
This is the second season of the new program coached by
Allison Kuster. The 2023 season was the first season for beach volleyball at ETBU as the Tigers won six matches and went to the AVCA Small College National Championships. The 2024 season brought 13 wins with two upsets at the AVCA national tournament to come in fourth place.
ETBU opened the morning in a 3-1 loss to no. 1 seeded Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Callie Humphrey and
Bella Sigala won the no. 1 match, 21-18, 21-13, for the first point. ETBU then fell in the no. 3 match, 21-11, 21-12, no. 4 match, 21-16, 21-14, and no. 5 match, 21-13, 21-9.
Playing in the third/fourth place match vs. no. 3 seeded Stevenson, ETBU won one match in a 3-1 loss. Humphrey and Sigala won the no. 1 match, 21-16, 21-15, for the point for ETBU. Stevenson then won the no. 2 match, 21-13, 21-10, the no. 4 match, 21-8, 21-11, and the no. 5 match, 21-19, 23-21.
ETBU finishes the season at 13-15 and as one of the top four D3 teams in the nation.
Results
Dual 1Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor won 3-1
MINIFY
Pair 1Sun 9:15 AMCourt: A1
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Julianna Green #1/Aliana Rojas #4 |
|
18 |
13 |
|
|
21 |
21 |
Pair 2Sun 9:15 AMCourt: A2
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
|
Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Kendall Harrington #10/Gracie Nichols #7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pair 3Sun 9:15 AMCourt: A3
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Mindy Conger #6/Saige Gizelle De La Fuente #15 |
|
21 |
21 |
|
|
11 |
12 |
Pair 4Sun 9:15 AMCourt: A4
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Faith Clark #11/Heidi Farrar #24 |
|
21 |
21 |
|
|
16 |
14 |
Pair 5Sun 9:15 AMCourt: A5
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
Univ. of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Kelli Northup #21/Ashley Salas #17 |
|
21 |
21 |
|
|
|
|
Dual 3Stevenson Univ. won 3-1
MINIFY
Pair 1Sun 1:00 PMCourt: B1
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
|
21 |
21 |
|
Stevenson Univ.
Caleigh Bernota #1/Sima Kahoussi #11 |
|
16 |
15 |
Pair 2Sun 1:00 PMCourt: B2
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
|
13 |
10 |
|
Stevenson Univ.
Nicolette Fuglestad #4/Taylor Jones #12 |
|
21 |
21 |
Pair 3Sun 1:00 PMCourt: B3
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
Set 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stevenson Univ.
Madeline "Maddie" Clouser #3/Hannah Naja #24 |
|
|
|
|
Pair 4Sun 1:00 PMCourt: B4
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
|
8 |
11 |
|
Stevenson Univ.
Miranda Mueck #10/Guilia Vigietta #14 |
|
21 |
21 |
Pair 5Sun 1:00 PMCourt: B5
| Team |
Set 1 |
Set 2 |
|
|
19 |
21 |
|
Stevenson Univ.
Sam Simmers/Olivia Simon #5 |
|
21 |
23 |
