Friday, April 1
Martin, Tenn.
2:00 P.M.
Missouri State University
vs
Liberty
Beach Bears set to Compete in Skyhawk Invitational
March 30, 2022 | Beach Volleyball
SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State beach volleyball team is set to travel to Martin, Tenn., where they will compete in the UT Martin Skyhawk Invitational, April 1-2.
The Bears' will open up play with Liberty (2 p.m.) and Ottawa (4 p.m.) on Friday before taking on Tulane (9 a.m.) and UT Martin (3 p.m.) on Saturday.
Last Time Out
The Bears dropped a pair of 3-2 duals to Stephen F. Austin and Central Arkansas on March 25 in Conway, Ark. Both of the Missouri State wins in each dual came courtesy of No. 2 pair Grace Cook and Chloe Tome and the No. 5 duo of Parker McAllen and Olivia Rattler.
Scouting the Bears
The Bears' nine wins this season are the second-most in program history. Missouri State has swept Missouri Baptist, Huntingdon, Arizona Christian, and Abilene Christian this season.
Cook and Tome lead the Bears with a 15-1 mark in the No. 2 spot. The duo's 26-4 career record is the best mark all-time among Missouri State pairs. Cook and Tome also held a program-best 14-match win streak.
The No. 5 pair of Parker McAllen and Olivia Rattler hold a 12-4 record this season. All but one of their wins have come courtesy of sweeps.
The Bears have won 99 of their 178 sets played and have a 47 and 32 combined pairs record. This season, coach Gretchen Hand has tried out 13 pair combinations in the lineup, while 13 Bears have competed officially.
Hand at the Helm
Gretchen Hand was named the third head coach in Missouri State Beach Volleyball on July 2, 2021, by Athletic Director Kyle Moats. Hand comes to Missouri State after spending the last two-and-a-half years as director of volleyball at Webber International University in Babson Park, Fla. During her tenure with the Warriors, she worked with the men's and women's indoor programs in addition to the beach team and contributed to the beach team's conference title and NAIA national fourth-place finish in 2019. As a player, Hand competed professionally from 2001-2015. She had main-draw finishes in the AVP (American Volleyball Professionals), the NVL (National Volleyball League), Corona Wide Open, the EVP (Extreme Volleyball Professionals) and the FIVB, competing across the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland and Thailand.
On Jan. 2, 2022, Hand announced the addition of assistant coach Carol Welcher, who comes to Missouri State with nearly 20 years of coaching and playing experience at the national, collegiate, club, and high school levels. She was the assistant coach for UCSD's women's volleyball team for the 2016-2017 season. Before UCSD, Welcher was also the head coach and director of the girl's varsity volleyball program at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista and coached for La Jolla Volleyball Club and Beach Dig, both located in San Diego. Welcher competed in four years of professional indoor volleyball as a player in Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. She also spent seven years on the AVP's beach tour.
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Up Next
The Bears return home on Saturday, April 9 where they will face Hendrix at 9 a.m. and Ottawa at 1 p.m.
The Bears' will open up play with Liberty (2 p.m.) and Ottawa (4 p.m.) on Friday before taking on Tulane (9 a.m.) and UT Martin (3 p.m.) on Saturday.
Last Time Out
The Bears dropped a pair of 3-2 duals to Stephen F. Austin and Central Arkansas on March 25 in Conway, Ark. Both of the Missouri State wins in each dual came courtesy of No. 2 pair Grace Cook and Chloe Tome and the No. 5 duo of Parker McAllen and Olivia Rattler.
Scouting the Bears
The Bears' nine wins this season are the second-most in program history. Missouri State has swept Missouri Baptist, Huntingdon, Arizona Christian, and Abilene Christian this season.
Cook and Tome lead the Bears with a 15-1 mark in the No. 2 spot. The duo's 26-4 career record is the best mark all-time among Missouri State pairs. Cook and Tome also held a program-best 14-match win streak.
The No. 5 pair of Parker McAllen and Olivia Rattler hold a 12-4 record this season. All but one of their wins have come courtesy of sweeps.
The Bears have won 99 of their 178 sets played and have a 47 and 32 combined pairs record. This season, coach Gretchen Hand has tried out 13 pair combinations in the lineup, while 13 Bears have competed officially.
Hand at the Helm
Gretchen Hand was named the third head coach in Missouri State Beach Volleyball on July 2, 2021, by Athletic Director Kyle Moats. Hand comes to Missouri State after spending the last two-and-a-half years as director of volleyball at Webber International University in Babson Park, Fla. During her tenure with the Warriors, she worked with the men's and women's indoor programs in addition to the beach team and contributed to the beach team's conference title and NAIA national fourth-place finish in 2019. As a player, Hand competed professionally from 2001-2015. She had main-draw finishes in the AVP (American Volleyball Professionals), the NVL (National Volleyball League), Corona Wide Open, the EVP (Extreme Volleyball Professionals) and the FIVB, competing across the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland and Thailand.
On Jan. 2, 2022, Hand announced the addition of assistant coach Carol Welcher, who comes to Missouri State with nearly 20 years of coaching and playing experience at the national, collegiate, club, and high school levels. She was the assistant coach for UCSD's women's volleyball team for the 2016-2017 season. Before UCSD, Welcher was also the head coach and director of the girl's varsity volleyball program at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista and coached for La Jolla Volleyball Club and Beach Dig, both located in San Diego. Welcher competed in four years of professional indoor volleyball as a player in Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. She also spent seven years on the AVP's beach tour.
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Up Next
The Bears return home on Saturday, April 9 where they will face Hendrix at 9 a.m. and Ottawa at 1 p.m.
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Players Mentioned
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