NEW ORLEANS – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a statement win, splitting a pair of duals at the Green Wave Invitational Friday with a narrow 3-2 loss to Oregon in the morning before rebounding with a 4-1 victory over #20 Tulane.
It is the program's fourth ranked win in program history, and first since the Islanders topped #17 North Florida last season. The Islanders have now registered a top-20 win in each of the last four seasons with the program's first ever ranked win coming against #17 Arizona in 2023 and their best ranked win over #16 FAU in 2024.
Against Oregon, the Islanders jumped out with wins on the top two courts. The No. 1 pair of
Kristin Bobay and
Madison Morrow earned a straight-set 21-17, 21-16 victory. At No. 2, Maria Duda Fernandes De Melo and
Millie Olsson were equally sharp, dispatching the Ducks 21-14, 21-16 to give A&M-Corpus Christi a 2-0 edge.
Oregon answered with three tight matches to close the dual, however, winning on courts three, four, and five all in three-sets.
The Islanders responded emphatically in the afternoon against nationally ranked Tulane, winning four courts to secure the 4-1 triumph. Bobay and Morrow again set the tone again at No. 1, grinding out a 29-27, 21-18 win. Fernandes De Melo and Olsson also claimed their second win of the day at No. 2, rallying past Tulane 12-21, 21-19, 15-10.
The Green Wave picked up its lone point at No. 3, but the Islanders answered with dominant performances down the lineup.
Lizzie Denyer and
Emily Wood rolled to a 21-11, 21-15 victory at No. 4, and
Bryce Ranney and
Mia Stevens secured the match with a 21-19, 21-17 win on court five.
Bobay and Morrow, along with Fernandes De Melo and Olsson, finished the opening day 2-0 as pairs, providing stability at the top of the lineup in both duals.
With a ranked win already in hand, the Islanders will carry that depth into the rest of opening weekend with contests over South Florida (RV) and #12 LSU tomorrow.
Tournament Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 21
12:30 p.m. – USF vs. A&M-Corpus Christi
3 p.m. – #12 LSU vs. A&M-Corpus Christi
Coverage
Watch:
Sporfie
Live Scoring:
VolleyballLife
#ShakasUp
