OZARK, Mo. - Missouri State beach volleyball (4-0) opened the 2026 season with an undefeated weekend at the Missouri State Tournament. The Bears started the year with a 5-0 sweep over McKendree, followed by a 4-1 win over Lindenwood on Friday, then closed the tournament Saturday with back-to-back 5-0 sweeps over Central Arkansas and Eastern Illinois.
 
"We love when the Bears come out swinging and finish the weekend 4-0. We saw some awesome flashes of what this team can be, and we're pumped to roll that energy into next week," head coach Ashley Emery said. "Big shoutout to our four new faces in the lineup - they stepped in, held strong, and showed everyone exactly why they belong in maroon and white."
 
Across four matches, MoState went 19-1 in flight play, with the lone point coming in a three-set battle at Flight No. 2 against Lindenwood. The weekend also marked several milestones, as Raylee Stenzel, Taylor Germann and Jaycee Fixsen each earned their first collegiate beach victories, while transfer Logan Kaneshiro secured her first win as a Bear.

Missouri State 5, McKendree 0
The Bears opened the season with a clean sweep over McKendree, winning in straight sets at all five flights.

MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary set the tone at Flight No. 2 with a dominant win, 21-6, 21-9. Raylee Stenzel and Maddie Schrandt followed with a quick straight-set victory at Flight No. 3, 21-7, 21-9, while Manuela Niemeyer and Taylor Germann earned the point at Flight No. 4, 21-7, 21-13.


Logan Kaneshiro and Jaycee Fixsen added the Flight No. 5 point with a 21-9, 21-4 result, and Rylie Cepicky and Allyson Larkin capped the sweep at No. 1, 21-12, 21-13.
 
Missouri State 4, Lindenwood 1
MoState stayed unbeaten Friday afternoon with a 4-1 victory over Lindenwood, winning at Flights 1, 3, 4 and 5.
 
Cepicky and Larkin continued their strong start at Flight No. 1 with a straight-set win, 21-15, 21-16. Stenzel and Schrandt secured the point at Flight No. 3, 21-18, 21-12, and Niemeyer and Germann posted another win at Flight No. 4, 21-11, 25-23.
 
Kaneshiro and Fixsen rounded out the scoring at Flight No. 5 with a tight finish, 21-14, 25-23. Lindenwood's lone point came at Flight No. 2 in three sets.
 
Missouri State 5, Eastern Illinois 0
The Bears returned Saturday with a 5-0 sweep over Eastern Illinois, continuing their momentum from the previous day.

Niemeyer and Germann earned the first point at Flight No. 4 with a 21-9, 21-10 win. Steele and Cleary followed at No. 2, including a 25-23 second set to secure the victory. Stenzel and Schrandt added the Flight No. 3 point, 21-19, 21-14, and Kaneshiro and Fixsen took care of Flight No. 5, 21-17, 21-10. Cepicky and Larkin completed the sweep at Flight No. 1, 21-13, 21-10.
 
Missouri State 5, Central Arkansas 0
MoState finished the tournament with a sweep over Central Arkansas, highlighted by a pair of hard-fought wins in the middle flights.

Steele and Cleary earned the Flight No. 2 point in straight sets, 21-15, 21-14, while Cepicky and Larkin handled business at No. 1, 21-16, 21-18.

At Flight No. 3, Stenzel and Schrandt secured a tough first set before closing out the match, 22-20, 21-15. Niemeyer and Germann delivered one of the biggest momentum swings of the weekend at Flight No. 4, rallying from a sizeable deficit to win the opening set before securing the match in three, 21-16, 16-21, 15-12, to help lock in the sweep. Kaneshiro and Fixsen completed the 5-0 victory at No. 5 with a straight-set win, 21-15, 21-14.
 
Up Next
Missouri State will host the Beach Bear Bash Tournament on Feb. 27-28 at Volleyball Beach Ozark. The Bears will face Southwest Baptist and Eastern Kentucky on Friday, before taking on Central Arkansas and Lindenwood on Saturday. Admission is free to all attendees.