HOUSTON, Texas – Coming down to the final court, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball team avenged a thrilling 3-2 victory over No. 2 Boise State in the Southland Conference championship match to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament Sunday at Third Coast Volleyball.
It marks the Islanders' (28-9) third consecutive SLC tournament title, completing yet another season that they were both tournament and regular season champions. It came after the Islanders survived an elimination semifinal match against No. 3 HCU as the pair of wins gets A&M-Corpus Christi to 28 on the year, the program's most wins in a single season.
The action-packed day commenced with that showdown against the Huskies which resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Islanders. Noteworthy contributions came from pairs three,
Stephanie Young/
Millie Olsson; pair four,
Elizabeth Cortez/
Kela Moreno; and pair five,
Jade Bennett/
Tori Johnson. This pivotal win propelled them to the championship match for a rematch against Boise State, having narrowly missed out to the Broncos the previous day in the semifinals with a 3-2 scoreline.
The finals kicked off with an impressive display from the Islanders, as Cortez/Moreno and Morrow/Bobay swiftly clinched the first two points for the early 2-0 lead in the match. However, the Broncos were able to secure the next two courts to even the match at 2-2.
With the championship hanging in the balance, all eyes turned to the top pair of Tome/Dodd in search of the decisive point. The match unfolded into a gripping three-set thriller, with the Islanders experiencing a setback in the first set, losing 21-15. Undeterred, they rallied back in the second set with a commanding 21-17 victory, setting the stage for the third set.
Displaying unwavering determination, Tome and Dodd surged ahead in the final set, overwhelming the Broncos with a resounding 15-7 win, ultimately clinching the championship for the Islanders.
After the match, Tome/Dodd were honored as the SLC Pair of the Tournament. The Islanders improve to 10-2 all-time in SLC Tournament matches and have won three of the four tournament titles since it began in 2021.
It is the fifth championship in three years for the Islanders, winning every conference title possible since the 2022 season. It will be their third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, heading back to Gulf Shores. They now await their seeding and opponent with the Selection Show next Sunday, April 28.
Match One Results – No. 1 A&M Corpus Christi 3, No. 3 HCU 1
- Cassie Dodd/Chloe Tome (AMCC) Kristen Kleymeyer/Abbey Bufkin (HCU) UNF
- Rachel Helibrun/Kristin Gilmour (HCU) def. Madison Morrow/Kristin Bobay (AMCC) 21-23, 18-21
- Stephanie Young/Millie Olsson (AMCC) def. Paige Palmer/Audrey Pearce (HCU) 21-19, 21-16
- Elizabeth Cortez/ Kela Moreno (AMCC) def. Mary Alper/Tatum Lockhardt (HCU) 18-21, 21-18, 15-13
- Jade Bennett/Tori Johnson (AMCC) def. Lauren Vickery/Kylann Griffith (HCU) 21-18, 23-21
Match Two Results – No. 1 A&M Corpus Christi 3, No. 2 Boise 2
- Cassie Dodd/Chloe Tome (AMCC) def. Marlayna Bullington/Sierra Land (Boise) 15-21, 21-17, 15-7
- Madison Morrow/Kristin Bobay (AMCC) def. Emilia Guerra-Acuna/Ava Anderson (Boise) 23-21, 18-21, 16-14
- Addison Wolden/Abbie Wolf (Boise) def. Stephanie Young/Millie Olsson (AMCC) 18-21, 12-21
- Elizabeth Cortez/Kela Moreno (AMCC) def. Lily Patock/Rorianna Chartier (Boise) 21-19, 22-24, 15-11
- Elli Wolthuis/Sharli O'Neil (Boise) def. Jade Bennett/Tori Johnson (AMCC) 20-22, 17-21
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