Beach Volleyball Wins HBU Tournament with Perfect 4-0 Weekend

HOUSTON – Crowned champions of the HBU Tournament, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball program defeated New Orleans 4-1 and the host HBU 3-2 on Saturday at Third Coast Volleyball Club.
 
It capped a 4-0 weekend for the Islanders after they beat UL-Monroe 4-1 and Southeastern 3-2 on Friday. For the tournament, the team of grad student Micaela Mirabal and junior Aurora Carnes went 4-0 playing at the No. 4 and 5 courts.
 
With the victories, the Islanders have won 14 consecutive regular season matches against SLC opponents dating back to 2019.
 
"This was a great start to the season. The team was disciplined and focused going into this tournament and played very well," said head coach Gayle Stammer.
 
In the morning match, A&M-Corpus Christi won four straight-set matches to defeat the Privateers. On court one, sophomores Giuliana Poletti Corrales and Brooke Pertuit registered a 21-17, 25-23 win. . Juniors Migle Mazurkeviciute and junior Shea Slusser posted a similar result 21-17, 22-20 on court three.
 
On court four, Mirabal and Carnes registered a 21-13, 21-17 victory. Transfers Kiley Lewis and Ashlyn Power breezed to a 21-11, 21-9 on court five.
 
In the second match, the Islanders shined in the middle of the lineup. Junior Tori Johnson and freshman Jade Bennett cruised to a 21-16, 21-13 at No. 2. Mirabal and Carnes capped their unbeaten weekend with a 22-20, 21-15 victory.
 
The deciding match was a three-setter at No. 3. Mazurkeviciute and Slusser came from behind to win 17-21, 21-18, 15-9.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi will look to carry momentum into next weekend when they travel to the Tiger Beach Challenge, hosted by LSU. The first match is Saturday at 11 a.m. against a 4-0 LSU squad.
 
Islanders 4, New Orleans 1
1. Poletti Corrales, Giuliana/Pertuit, Brooke (AMCC) def. Lucie Pokorna/Ania Esarte (UNO) 21-17, 25-23
2. Maxine Hayes/Hannah Volpi (UNO) def. Johnson, Tori/Bennett, Jade (AMCC) 18-21, 21-16, 15-11
3. Mazurkeviciute, Migle/Slusser, Shea (AMCC) def. Trinity Jackson/Alexa Spartz (UNO) 21-17, 22-20
4. Mirabal, Micaela/Carnes, Aurora (AMCC) def. Liz Gialanella/Taylore Louviere (UNO) 21-13, 21-17
5. Lewis, Kiley/Power, Ashlyn (AMCC) def. Tara Goolsby/Serena Baugmart (UNO) 21-11, 21-9
 
Islanders 3, HBU 2
1. Miller, Brennan/Butters, Maddie (HBU) def. Poletti Corrales, Giuliana/Pertuit, Brooke (AMCC) 26-24, 13-21, 15-12
2. Johnson, Tori/Bennett, Jade (AMCC) def. Huggins, Lauren/Stanfill, Alison (HBU), 21-16, 21-13
3. Mazurkeviciute, Migle/Slusser, Shea (AMCC) def. Kleymeyer, Kristen/Harris, Lindsay (HBU), 17-21, 21-18, 15-9
4. Mirabal, Micaela/Carnes, Aurora (AMCC) def. Alper, Mary/O'Neal, Shelby (HBU), 22-20, 21-15
5. Griffith, Kylann/Reinard, Abbey (HBU) def. Lewis, Kiley/Power, Ashlyn (AMCC) 21-12, 21-16
 
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