MONROE, La. - The Missouri State beach volleyball team (13-2) started the Bayou Bash with a bang with its victories over Nicholls State, 3-0, and Louisiana Monroe, 3-2 following weather delays.

"Thunderstorms delayed the day by four hours to start the first rounds of matches today," head coach Ashley Emery said. "It's always tough when any real type of delay hits to mentally reset and prepare".

The Bears are set to conclude the Bayou Bash with matches scheduled for 9:00 a.m. against Texas A&M - Kingsville and at 10:45 a.m. against McNeese State.

Missouri State 3 - Nicholls State 0

Due to the weather delay, Missouri State's first match against the Colonels was played to decision with the Bears not wasting any time in the 3-0 win.

The matches on the first two flights failed to make it out of the first set before the other three matches concluded. Becca Bach and Manuela Niemeyer trailed the sister pair of Aspen and Kennedi Steele, 17-11, on No. 1 at the time of the match being called. On No. 2, MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary held a slim 16-14 lead over Keira Heckel and Shelby McGee by match's end.

Olivia Muriel and Erin Eschleman returned to their winning ways on flight No. 3 against Nicholls State's McKenna Malone and McKay Wilson. The Bears controlled the match the entire way to secure their 12th win together, 21-11, 21-16.

Flight No. 4 went the same way for Allyson Larkin and Olivia Rattler as the pair took down Bethanie Durant and Brooklynn Wilkinson, 21-10, 21-17.

Brooke Plessner and Maddie Schrandt complete the straight-set sweep on all concluding courts with a strong 21-10, 21-12, victory over the Colonel pairing of Carleigh Breaux and Tierney Terrell.

"The girls came out ready to play," Emery said. "With matches going to decision, we knew there was no time to relax. They had to come out with fire and really execute."

Missouri State 3 - Louisiana Monroe 2

The Bears repeated their performance against the Warhawks in their home-opening tournament last month by earning another 3-2 win against Louisiana Monroe despite losing the first set on four of the five flights.

While Plessner and Schrandt won the clinching match against ULM in February, they were the first to get the job done on flight No. 5. The duo lost the first set like they did against the Warhawks in Ozark and still battled out a hard-fought win, 18-21, 22-20, 15-7, against Abby Ryno and Kate Taylor.

Larkin and Rattler improved to 4-0 as a pair with another three-set victory on flight No. 4 against Katie Felts and Avery Hunter. The Missouri State duo were the only Bears to win their first set, but were outmatched in the second set to force an extra one. Ultimately, Missouri State extended its lead with a win, 21-14, 15-21, 15-11.

Louisiana Monroe responded with two wins of its own on flight Nos. 2 and 3 to tie the match score. ULM's Madeline Marquez and Eden Anderson battled Muriel and Eschelman to the very end, taking the Warhawks' first win, 21-15, 14-21, 15-13.

ULM's Kaylie Beck and Tamsie Black were the only players to win their match in a sweep, defeating Steele and Cleary, 21-16, 21-15.

All eyes were on flight No. 1 between Bach and Niemeyer and the duo of Kaitlyn Beck and Claire Williamson. Back in February, Beck and Williamson were the victors against the Bears on No. 2, but Bach and Niemeyer ensured that they got to finish this match with a comeback win. Missouri State took flight No. 1 to secure the team victory, 18-21, 22-20, 15-7.

"We were Battle Bears in that second match against ULM," Emery said. " The No. 4 and 5 pairs both secured tough-fought three-set wins. The No. 3s really battled only to fall short the last two points. The real fight was through the comeback grit that Becca and Manu brought. I'm not sure there are appropriate words for how cool that was to watch. Our team brought the energy to the sideline and definitely helped them secure that win."


Missouri State 3 - Nicholls State 0

Flight 1: Aspen Steele/Kennedi Steele (NIC) vs. Becca Bach/Manuela Niemeyer (MSU): 17-10, unfinished

Flight 2: MacKenzie Steele/Amanda Cleary (MSU) vs. Keira Heckel/Shelby McGee (NIC): 16-14, unfinished

Flight 3: Olivia Muriel/Erin Eschleman (MSU) def. McKenna Malone/McKay Wilson (NIC): 21-11, 21-16

Flight: 4: Allyson Larkin/Olivia Rattler (MSU) def. Bethanie Durant/Brooklynn Wilkinson (NIC): 21-10, 21-17

Flight: 5: Brooke Plessner/Maddie Schrandt (MSU) def. Carleigh Breaux/Tierney Terrell (NIC): 21-10, 21-12

Order of Finish: 5, 4, 3 (1 and 2 Unfinished)


Missouri State 3 - Louisiana Monroe 2

Flight 1: Becca Bach/Manuela Niemeyer (MSU) def. Kaitlyn Beck/Claire Williamson (ULM): 18-21, 22-20, 15-7

Flight 2: Kaylie Beck/Tamsie Black (ULM) def. MacKenzie Steele/Amanda Cleary (MSU): 21-16, 21-15

Flight 3: Madeline Marquez/Eden Anderson (ULM) def. Olivia Muriel/Erin Eschleman (MSU): 21-15, 14-21, 15-13

Flight 4: Allyson Larkin/Olivia Rattler (MSU) def. Katie Felts/Avery Hunter (ULM): 21-14, 15-21, 15-11

Flight 5: Brooke Plessner/Maddie Schrandt (MSU) def. Abby Ryno/Kate Taylor (ULM): 18-21, 22-20, 15-7

Order of Finish: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1