NEW ORLEANS, La. – Primed to defend its title, the #20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball team will enter the Southland Conference Midyear tournament, hosted by New Orleans, at optimum time this weekend to seek a repeat of the regular season title.
The Islanders will play six conference matches over three days in New Orleans, beginning with contests against McNeese and Nicholls on Friday. They will play in a rematch of the 2023 tournament final with Boise State Saturday in addition to playing New Orleans. A&M-Corpus Christi will close out the weekend with hopes of a trophy in tow when it plays HCU and Southeastern on Sunday.
The Islanders are having an historic week by becoming nationally ranked for the first time ever, checking in at #20 in the most recent AVCA Poll. They also become the first Southland Conference beach volleyball member to represent at a national level.
It comes with a 13-4 record, the program's best start to a season through 17 matches. It also already includes one conference win after A&M-Corpus Christi topped San Jose State last weekend 4-1 for its SLC opener.
From last season's championship squad, the Islanders returned the SLC Freshman of the Year
Kristin Bobay who has paired nicely with sophomore newcomer
Madison Morrow at court one this year for a team-best 11 wins. The reigning SLC Newcomer of the Year,
Chloe Tome, also returned as a veteran leader and has matched with freshman
Cassie Dodd as the duo has gone 7-3 in the last 10 matches.
Graduate newcomer
Stephanie Young and junior
Hannah Doyle hoists the best pair record on the team with a 9-3 mark, mainly at flight three. They have won eight of their last 10 including the last four straight duals.
Doyle is 14-3 overall on the year for the team-best individual mark. Young and Dodd trail with 13 wins apiece while Tome and junior
Elizabeth Cortez have each notched 12 individual dual wins. Cortez is 12-2 on the year including a perfect 3-0 at flight four.
Overall, the Islanders have won 61 duals this year with the best record coming at court three where the Islanders have played for a 14-3 mark.
Last year, the Islanders won the inaugural SLC Regular Season Championship after extending their reign against conference opponents under head coach
Gayle Stammer who remains an undefeated 27-0 in regular season matchups. A&M-Corpus Christi was picked to repeat in this year's SLC Preseason Poll, not having dropped any match to a league member since 2021 to be two-time defending tournament champions as well.
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