FORT WORTH, Texas - Missouri State beach volleyball (17-8) ended its regular season with a bang at the Fight in the Fort Tournament on Saturday. After taking a loss to Louisiana Monroe early in the day, the Bears finished on a high note with a 3-1 victory over Houston Christian. MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary broke the program record in wins by a pair in the latter match, securing their 36th as a tandem.

"We knew this weekend was going to be a battle," head coach Ashley Emery said. "Facing this level of competition right before the conference tournament is exactly what we need to prepare for the road ahead. 


Louisiana Monroe 3, Missouri State 1

MoState started the final day of its regular season after about an hour-long delay due to weather that postponed the start of an earlier match. Matches were played to decision, meaning play would conclude once a team clinched a team victory. The Bears and Warhawks were in lockstep until ULM (13-19) snagged two quick flight victories to win the match, 3-1.

Louisiana Monroe took the first point at Flight No. 2 where Abby Ryno and Claire Williamson handed MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary their third loss of the tournament in another close finish. ULM's pairing held on to win the first set, 21-19. They were taken to the brink in the second set, but secured the flight win with a 25-23 set victory.

Rylie Cepicky and Manuela Niemeyer earned the Bears' only win of the match. The two defeated Zsa Zsa Ferguson and Maggie Cox at Flight No. 4, 21-15, 21-15. The win marked 19 for the MSU duo this year and represented Niemeyer's 49th win of her career.

The Warhawks secured the match with two rapid-fire victories on different courts. Brooke Bankston and Maddie Peterson gave ULM the lead at Flight No. 5 against Olivia Rattler and Erin Eschleman with a straight set sweep, 21-18, 21-15.

The match was clinched at Flight No. 1 by Kaitlyn Beck and Madeline Marquez. The pair defeated Becca Bach and Allyson Larkin, 21-17, 21-16. It was a familiar sight for Marquez, who was a part of a three-set victory against Bach and Niemeyer at Flight No. 1 in Missouri State's season-opening tournament last year at Volleyball Beach Ozark.

The match at Flight No. 3 went unfinished after two sets. Maddie Schrandt and Morgan Sprague came out strong with a 21-8 win in the opening set. Kaelyn Fredette-Huffman and Avery Hunter battled back to take the second set and avoid a match result, 21-15. The match was decided before the third set could start.

"Losing is never easy – and it is not a feeling we want to get used to – but that's part of the process," Emery said. "The reward when everything finally clicks makes the grind worth it. What I'm most proud of is the fight this team showed. They dug deep, battled to the very end and gave everything they had. That kind of grit is what builds championship teams."


Missouri State 3, Houston Christian 1

The Bears brought home a win during their time in Texas with a 3-1 victory over Houston Christian (12-18) in another match that was played until decision.

Emery made their first lineup order change of the season, swapping the regular pairings at Flight Nos. 3 and 4. Maddie Schrandt and Morgan Sprague played at No. 4 for the first time this season. Schrandt played a match at the No. 4 spot last year against Jacksonville. The two picked up their first career wins at No. 4 and their 16th of the season, defeating Tatum Lockhardt and Alexa Landmark in comeback fashion, 14-21, 21-16, 15-13.

Rylie Cepicky and Manuela Niemeyer made the move up to Flight No. 3 to battle Audrey Pearce and Lauren Vickery. It was Niemeyer's first appearance at No. 3 since 2023, while Cepicky made her first career appearance away from No. 4. Pearce and Vickrey had the upper hand and won the lone point for the Huskies, 21-15, 21-10.

Comebacks were a common theme for the Bears on their route to victory. MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary snapped a five-match losing streak with a win over HCU's Paige Palmer and Alisia Silverthorn, 21-23, 21-19, 15-13. The win broke the tie Steele and Cleary had with Grace Cook and Chloe Tome for most wins by a Bears pair in team history.

Olivia Rattler and Erin Eschleman won the match-clinching point at Flight No. 5 in a comeback against Karla Sanchez George and Taylor Gardner for their first win of the tournament. After dropping the first set, 21-13, Rattler and Eschleman rallied to take the next sets, 21-17, 15-12. Rattler became the first player in team history to reach 60 career wins.

Flight No. 1 held the lone match that did not conclude. Rachel Heilburn and Kristin Gilmour battled Becca Bach and Allyson Larkin to a 23-21 win in the first set. The Bears battled back from behind to take the lead in the second set, 7-6, before the team match was decided.

"Now, it's about turning the lessons from this weekend into momentum for next week," Emery said. "We're going to take what we learned, make the adjustments and come out swinging at conference."

Up Next

Missouri State will compete in its second Conference USA Tournament next week (April 24-26) at Sugar Beach in Youngsville, Louisiana for a chance to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Seeding for the double elimination tournament will be determined in the coming days.