TUCSON, Ariz. - Missouri State beach volleyball put together another strong weekend showing at the Arizona Invitational, finishing 3-1 overall with wins over Tarleton State, San Francisco and UTEP. The outing moved the Bears to 14-1 on the season and 3-0 against Conference USA opponents, while No. 19 Arizona handed Missouri State its first loss of the year.

"Great weekend for the Bears in Tucson! We proved we belong in the conversation, competing at a high level while building momentum against conference opponents along the way. Battling through heat we haven't faced yet, this group found a way to rise to the top. What stands out most is how this team shows up for each other. The fight, the energy, the togetherness-it's special to watch," said head coach Ashley Emery.

The Bears began the weekend with a sweep of Tarleton State, followed it with a gritty 3-2 victory over San Francisco, earned another tight conference win over UTEP on Saturday morning and closed the tournament against No. 19 Arizona.

Missouri State 5, Tarleton State 0
Missouri State opened the weekend Friday morning with a convincing sweep of Tarleton State, winning all five flights to improve to 2-0 against Conference USA competition.

Raylee Stenzel and Maddie Schrandt delivered the first point of the dual with a dominant 21-9, 21-12 victory at Flight 3, and Logan Kaneshiro and Jaycee Fixsen followed with a 21-13, 21-19 win at No. 5. Niemeyer and Germann added a straight-set decision at Flight 4, 21-17, 21-19, before MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary secured another point with a 21-16, 21-18 result at No. 2.

At the top flight, Rylie Cepicky and Allyson Larkin capped the sweep with the most dramatic match of the dual. After taking the opening set 21-17, the pair dropped the second before regrouping for a 15-12 win in the third to finish off the 5-0 result.

Missouri State 3, San Francisco 2
Later Friday, Missouri State picked up one of its grittiest wins of the weekend by edging San Francisco, 3-2, in a dual that featured little separation across the lineup.

Niemeyer and Germann again started things off with a 21-13, 21-17 win at Flight 4, while Kaneshiro and Fixsen followed with a 21-13, 21-18 victory at No. 5. With the dual hanging in the balance, Cepicky and Larkin came through at Flight 1, holding off San Francisco in a pair of tight sets, 21-19, 22-20, to clinch the team win.

Although the Dons claimed both Flight 2 and Flight 3 in three-set battles, Missouri State's ability to close out key points on the winning courts made the difference in the narrow victory.

Missouri State 3, UTEP 2
Missouri State opened Saturday with another hard-fought 3-2 win, this time over UTEP, to remain unbeaten against CUSA foes.

Niemeyer and Germann set the tone once more at Flight 4, rolling to a 21-10, 21-17 win. UTEP answered at Flight 3, but Steele and Cleary swung momentum back in Missouri State's favor with one of the most electric matches of the weekend. After cruising in the first set, dropping the second and facing a tight finish in the third, the pair pulled out a 16-14 decision to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.

The clinching point came from Cepicky and Larkin at Flight 1. After falling in the opening set, the duo bounced back with a 21-19 second-set win before taking control in the third, 15-10, to secure the dual. UTEP claimed the final court in another three-set thriller, but Missouri State had already done enough to lock up the team victory.

No. 19 Arizona 4, Missouri State 1
Missouri State closed the weekend Saturday afternoon against No. 19 Arizona, which handed the Bears their first loss of the season in a 4-1 decision.

The highlight for Missouri State came at Flight 4, where Niemeyer and Germann continued their standout weekend with a straight-set win over Arizona's pair, 21-18, 21-15. Their result marked the lone point of the dual and gave the Bears a significant win against a nationally ranked opponent.

The closest battle came at Flight 3, where Stenzel and Schrandt pushed the Wildcats to three sets. After dropping the first, the duo answered with a 21-18 second-set win before Arizona pulled away late in the deciding frame. Even in the loss, Missouri State showed it could compete point-for-point with a ranked opponent and force pressure situations across multiple courts.

"Huge performances from freshman Taylor Germann and senior Manuela Niemeyer, who picked up a big win over a strong Arizona team. We've talked a lot about the growth of this program… this weekend, it was on full display," said Emery

The weekend also reflected the continued growth of the program. Missouri State not only picked up a pair of conference wins over Tarleton State and UTEP, but also battled Arizona closely in its first loss of the year. From lineup depth to late-match composure, the Bears continued to show they can handle pressure in a variety of settings as the season moves forward.

Up Next
Missouri State returns to action March 27-28 at the Battle of the Bay tournament in St. Petersburg, Florida.