BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Missouri State beach volleyball (15-4) split its first two matches at the Blazer Beach Bash on Friday. The Bears opened the day with a clean 5-0 sweep over Austin Peay State and closed out the afternoon with a tough 3-2 defeat to UAB in their only regular season conference match of the season. 

Head coach Ashley Emery earned her 50th career win as head coach of the Bears with the morning victory.

"We started this morning off strong against APSU," Emery said. "The team came ready to play and took care of business in the first match. Going into UAB, we knew we'd have to bring our best." 

Missouri State 5, Austin Peay State 0

The Beach Bears opened the Blazer Beach Bash with the tournament's opening match against Austin Peay State (3-17) by securing their 13th sweep of the season. The win also marked four straight sweeps and improved MoState's all-time record over APSU to 2-0.

With first-year head coach Michael Hobson, Austin Peay put forth an entirely different lineup compared to last year's match against Missouri State almost exactly one year ago. Missouri State's Amanda Cleary and MacKenzie Steele got the scoring going with a 21-12, 21-9 victory over Jordyn Beneteau and Alyson Cooper at Flight No. 2. The Bears duo moved to just one win away from tying the program record in wins by a pair at 35 set by Grace Cook and Chloe Tome.

Manuela Niemeyer and Rylie Cepicky were not far behind in getting Missouri State its second point at Flight No. 4. The two battled Gabriella MacKenzie and Bailey Lasater at Flight No. 4. Lasater, a transfer from Southwest Baptist, was no stranger to playing the Bears. Niemeyer and Cepicky improved their season record to a team-best 16-1 with the victory, 21-15, 21-12.

The Bears clinched the victory and Emery's 50th career win at Flight No. 5 where Olivia Rattler and Erin Eschleman had a dramatic finish against Angelena Greene and Emma Loiars. After winning the first set, 21-16, the Bears and Governors were neck and neck in the second set. Rattler and Echleman were pushed to the brink but won the points needed to win the second set, 22-20.

Morgan Sprague and Maddie Schrandt kept the possibility of a sweep alive at No. 3 against Emily Freel and Anna Kate Clark. The pair won their fourth straight match in straight sets, 21-17, 21-11. 

Much like in last week's match against Southwest Baptist, Becca Bach and Allyson Larkin came from behind to win at Flight No. 1 and secure the team sweep. The two dropped the first set against Grace Austin and Jordan Morris, 21-18, but fought their way back in the second set, 21-14. Missouri State maintained the pace in the deciding set to take the win, 15-10. The win marked career win No. 40 for Larkin, making her the seventh Beach Bear to reach that milestone.

UAB 3, Missouri State 2

The Bears and Blazers (15-10, 3-2 CUSA) battled to the very end of their match. Missouri State jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Flight Nos. 2 and 4, but UAB fought back with straight-set sweeps on Nos. 1 and 3 and a comeback on No. 5 to win.

"From the first serve, the Nos. 2 and 4 pairs came out with a fire I haven't seen in a while," Emery said. "It was impressive to be a part of. Every pair has to battle for every point, and they did. I'm proud of the mindset they brought into the match."

Manuela Niemeyer and Rylie Cepicky improved to 17-1 as a duo at Flight No. 4 by taking the first win over Olivia Chychrun and Claudia Stockard, 21-18, 21-16. 

Meanwhile, MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary wrapped out the match on No. 4 with a score of 21-12, 21-17 over Isabel Day and Azmabeth Infante. The win marked 35 times that Steele and Cleary have won as a pair going back to last season, tying the program record. The two will have a chance to break that record on Saturday.

UAB began its comeback at Flight No. 3 with the Blazer duo of Klea Sirois and Lauren Cairo defeating Maddie Schrandt and Morgan Sprague, 21-15, 21-14. All 19 matches at No. 3 so far this season have ended in the winning pair taking the point in straight sets.

The Blazers tied the match at two by also taking the point at No. 1 over Becca Bach and Allyson Larkin. The Bears pair fell in identical sets to Olivia Stant and Jasmine Haas, 21-16, 21-16. The loss snapped Bach and Larkin's four-match winning streak, setting their season record at 15-4.

The match came down to Flight No. 5 where Olivia Rattler and Erin Eschleman went to three sets with Sarah Smith and Addison Atkins. Rattler and Eschleman were in the driver's seat with a 21-18 win in the first set, but Smith and Atkins responded in the second set, 21-13, to set up a winner-take-all final set. UAB led much of the final set and kept MoState at arm's length and took the set, 15-10, to secure the team's third conference win.

"UAB is a good team, but our team brought a winning energy today," Emery said. "A 3-2 loss stings, especially when you know you're right there. The plan is clear: take that win next time we see them in conference."

Up Next

Missouri State will be back in action tomorrow for the final day of the Blazer Beach Bash starting at 10:00 a.m. with a rematch from earlier in the season against Chattanooga, which swept Southeastern Louisiana early on Friday. The Bears close out the tournament with their first-ever meeting against Tennessee Tech at 2:00 p.m. Southeastern Louisiana swept Tennessee Tech later in the afternoon.