Beach Bears Secure Two Bids to AVCA Beach National Championships

OZARK, Mo. - Missouri State beach volleyball made program history Saturday at the AVCA Fall Collegiate Beach Championship Qualifier as Samantha Crosby and Taylor Germann captured the Bid Championship, Jaycee Fixsen and Ally Larkin finished runner-up and both pairs punched their tickets to the 2026 AVCA Beach National Championships in Huntsville, Ala.

The Bears claimed both spots in the championship match after both pairs won in the semifinals, securing Missouri State's first-ever bids to the event. Crosby and Germann ultimately defeated their teammates in three sets to complete an unbeaten 5-0 weekend.

"We're incredibly excited to go compete in our first-ever AVCA Pairs Tournament in Huntsville. I couldn't be more proud of this team and the way they challenge, support, and push each other every single day. Our top two pairs will be a great representation of the Missouri State beach program in November," head coach Ashley Emery said. "This moment is a reflection of the growth of our program and the work these athletes continue to put in day after day. We're proud of how far we've come and even more excited about where we're going."

Day One
Missouri State opened the qualifier with a perfect Friday, going a combined 7-0 while all three Bear pairs won their respective pools and advanced into the Bid Championship Bracket.

Crosby and Germann went 2-0 in Pool B with victories over Lindenwood Pair 2 and SBU Bid Pair 1. The duo finished atop the pool standings and earned the No. 2 seed in the Bid Championship Bracket, securing a bye into Saturday's quarterfinal round.

Bailey Chin and Mylah Hogan matched them with a 2-0 showing in Pool C. The pair opened the day with a 21-8, 25-23 victory over McKendree Pair 1 before closing pool play with a 21-14, 21-17 win against Austin Peay. Their unbeaten start earned them the No. 3 seed and a direct spot in the quarterfinals.

Fixsen and Larkin went 2-0 in Pool E, opening with a 21-11, 21-14 victory over SBU Bid Pair 2 before defeating Lindenwood Pair 1, 21-15, 21-19.

Seeded fifth entering bracket play, Fixsen and Larkin returned to the sand Friday afternoon and kept Missouri State's perfect day intact with a 21-10, 21-17 sweep of No. 12 seed UCA Beach Pair 2. The victory sent them into Saturday's quarterfinals and completed the Bears' 7-0 opening day.

Day Two
Crosby and Germann opened Saturday with a three-set quarterfinal victory over No. 7 Southern Miss Pair 2. After splitting the first two sets, the Bears outlasted Southern Miss, 20-18, in the third to earn a 21-12, 19-21, 20-18 decision.

The duo then overcame a slow start against No. 6 UT Martin Pair 1 in the semifinals. After dropping the opening set, 21-8, Crosby and Germann responded with a 21-12 victory in the second before taking the deciding set, 15-12. The comeback win punched their ticket to Huntsville and sent them into the championship match.

Fixsen and Larkin continued their run with a dominant 21-11, 21-11 quarterfinal sweep of No. 4 EKU. They followed with another straight-set victory in the semifinals, defeating No. 8 Lindenwood Pair 1, 21-9, 21-15, to secure Missouri State's second bid and set up an all-Bears final.

Fixsen and Larkin struck first in the championship match with a 21-17 opening-set victory, but Crosby and Germann answered by taking the second, 22-20. Crosby and Germann then closed out the title with a 15-12 victory in the deciding set to finish the weekend unbeaten and capture the Bid Championship.

Crosby and Germann completed the qualifier 5-0, while Fixsen and Larkin finished 5-1 with their only loss of the weekend coming against their Missouri State teammates in the final.

Chin and Hogan entered Saturday as the No. 3 seed but saw their championship run end with a 25-23, 21-15 quarterfinal loss to No. 6 UT Martin Pair 1. The duo moved into the fifth-through-eighth-place bracket, where it dropped a three-set decision to Southern Miss Pair 2 before falling to Southern Miss Pair 1, 21-12, 21-18, in the placement match. Chin and Hogan finished the weekend 2-3 and eighth in the Bid Championship field.

Missouri State's three pairs combined for a 12-4 record over the two-day qualifier, highlighted by Crosby and Germann's championship and Fixsen and Larkin's runner-up finish.

Up Next
Crosby and Germann, along with Fixsen and Larkin, will represent Missouri State at the 2026 AVCA Beach National Championships, Nov. 6-8 in Huntsville, Ala. The trip will mark Missouri State's first appearance at the event.

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Beach Bears Secure Two Bids to AVCA Beach National Championships

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Players Mentioned

Bailey Chin

Samantha Crosby

Jaycee Fixsen

Taylor Germann

Mylah Hogan

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