ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Missouri State beach volleyball went 2-2 at the Battle of the Bay this weekend, opening with a win over Saint Leo before dropping a pair of 3-2 duals to Eckerd and Tampa. The Bears responded with a 4-1 victory over Eckerd in the tournament finale to close the weekend on a high note.

Missouri State 4, Saint Leo 1
Missouri State opened the tournament Friday morning with a strong 4-1 win over Saint Leo, claiming victories at Flights 1 through 4. Rylie Cepicky and Allyson Larkin started the dual with a point at the top spot, while MacKenzie Steele and Amanda Cleary added another win at No. 2. Raylee Stenzel and Maddie Schrandt were victorious at Flight 3, and Manuela Niemeyer and Taylor Germann rounded out the team win with a point at No. 4. Saint Leo's lone point came at Flight 5 over Logan Kaneshiro and Jaycee Fixsen.

Eckerd 3, Missouri State 2
Later Friday, Missouri State dropped a tight 3-2 dual to Eckerd. The Bears picked up points at Flights 1 and 2 behind wins from Cepicky and Larkin and Steele and Cleary, but Eckerd claimed the remaining three courts to take the team decision.

"We opened day one on a high note, taking care of business against St. Leo. With a quick turnaround, we faced Eckerd but struggled with too many unforced errors to overcome. After that match, our team leaned into some honest conversations, both as a group and within our pairs, and knew we'd need to respond if we wanted to turn the weekend around," said head coach Ashley Emery.

Tampa 3, Missouri State 2
Missouri State returned to the sand Saturday and dropped another close 3-2 dual, this time to Tampa. The Bears picked up points at Flights 2 and 5, where Steele and Cleary defeated Tess Schrenger and Taylor Bedinghaus, and Kaneshiro and Fixsen added another win over Sammie Ostrander and Logan Martin. Tampa claimed the remaining three courts to take the dual.

Missouri State 4, Eckerd 1
Missouri State closed the weekend with a strong response, defeating Eckerd 4-1 in the tournament finale. Cepicky and Larkin added another victory at Flight 1, Steele and Cleary stayed perfect on the weekend with a win at No. 2, Niemeyer and Germann earned the point at Flight 4, and Logan Kaneshiro and Jaycee Fixsen secured the fourth point at No. 5. Eckerd's only win came at Flight 3.

"Tampa was an absolute battle. They're consistently one of the toughest teams out there, and just like last year, we matched their intensity point for point in a hard-fought 2-3 loss. The response after that said everything about this group. We came back locked in against Eckerd with something to prove, and the team showed exactly what Missouri State beach volleyball is about. I couldn't be more proud of the leadership from our senior duo, Amanda and Steele. They're playing with a level of confidence that's elevating everyone around them and helping drive this team forward," said Emery.

Up Next
Missouri State returns home on April 4 to host Southwest Baptist at Betty & Bobby Allison Sand Volleyball Courts in Springfield. The dual will serve as Senior Day for the Bears.