CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball program closed the regular season in dominant fashion, securing its fifth consecutive 20-win campaign with a pair of victories over Central Arkansas and Southeastern Saturday in the Battle of the Bayou.
The Islanders opened the day with a 4-1 win over Central Arkansas before sweeping Southeastern 5-0, capping a strong finish heading into postseason play. They finish the regular season having won 14 of their last 15 matches.
Against Central Arkansas, A&M-Corpus Christi claimed four of five courts, highlighted by a trio of straight-set victories that set the tone early. The Islanders jumped ahead with wins at No. 4 and No. 5, as
Mia Stevens and
Saskia Hernandez battled to a 21-19, 21-16 victory, followed by
Lizzie Denyer and
Ashlyn Rough securing a 21-15, 21-15 decision.
The momentum continued at No. 2, where Duda de Melo and
Millie Olsson cruised to a 21-10, 21-12 win to put the Islanders on the brink. Central Arkansas picked up its lone point at No. 3, but the clincher came at the top spot, where
Kristin Bobay and
Madison Morrow outlasted their opponents in three sets, 21-17, 14-21, 15-11, to seal the 4-1 team victory.
A&M-Corpus Christi carried that momentum into its official regular-season finale against Southeastern, turning in a clean 5-0 sweep. It improved the program's record against Southland opponents to 48-1 in regular season matches since 2019.
The Islanders once again struck first at No. 4, with Stevens and Hernandez posting a 21-19, 21-13 win, followed by Denyer and Rough's 21-19, 21-14 victory at No. 5. The duo of de Melo and Olsson delivered a dominant performance at No. 2, winning 21-6, 21-16 to extend the lead.
On Court 1, Morrow and Bobay secured a 21-13, 21-17 win, while
Bryce Ranney and Kaitreane Crojwoski completed the sweep at No. 3 with a 21-17, 21-16 decision.
With the pair of wins, the Islanders close the regular season on a high note, carrying momentum into the conference tournament as they look to build on another 20-win season. They will host the SLC Championship April 22-24 at Water's Edge Park as the No. 1 seed with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament up for grabs.
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