Match 9 - #3 Lindenwood 3, #1 UT Martin 2
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Match 10 - #2 Chattanooga 3, #3 Lindenwood 0
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2024 ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
Dylan Mott & Sydney Eckhardt, UT Martin
Maider Soto & Nyah Wilson, Lindenwood
Annalie McWhorter & Jessie Seidel, Lindenwood
Gylian Finch & McKenna Faychak, Chattanooga
Neva Clark & Corina Vale, Chattanooga (MVP)
#3 LINDENWOOD 3, #1 UT MARTIN 2
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Lindenwood beach volleyball (16-10) ends their championship run at the Ohio Valley Conference Beach Volleyball Championship with a 3-0 loss to #2 Chattanooga in the final match. The Lions end their season with 16 wins, their most in program history and become the first Lindenwood team in an OVC sanctioned sport to reach a championship game.
All together, the Lions played six matches in the span of three days, winning four of them on their way to the championship match. Three of those wins came in the single loss bracket where they defeated UT Martin in the semifinal match.
Lindenwood took down the number one seeded Skyhawks of UT Martin in the semifinals match on Saturday to get the the OVC Championship duel. It marked the first ever win against UT Martin in program history.
Both teams were able to get a point during the four and five pairs as Abby VanBuskirk and Kailee McGee picked up the point in the four pair with scores of 21-18 and 21-19 over UTM's Kristin Phillips and Haeleigh Paulino. Amber Schade and Elise Llorens suffered a two set loss in the five pair by scores of 15-21 and 10-21.
Nyah Wilson and Maider Soto captured the second point in the match for the Lions with a two set victory over Jenna Vallee and Olivia O'Keefe by scores of 21-13 and 21-12. Katie Malzahn and Abby Jacobs fell at the number two pair with scores of 8-21 and 9-21.
For the second straight day, the match came down to the threes pair of Jessie Seidel and Annalie McWhorter and for the second straight day they delivered a win for the Lions. Seidel and McWhorter took down Ryan Rednour and Addy Vaughn in three sets by scores of 13-21, 21-19 and 15-12.
Lindenwood's second season of beach volleyball came to a close on Saturday during the OVC Championship match with a 3-0 loss to #2 Chattanooga. The Lions battled in all five pairs before dropping the duel.
Schade and Llorens came out and fought hard in their final match of the season at the five spot with a three set loss. The duo won the first set by a score of 21-19 before eventually losing the final two by scores of 21-10 and 15-10.
VanBuskirk and McGee also lost at the fours with scores of 21-10 and 21-7 against Kaye Greshman and Paige Gallentine. The match ended with the two pair of Malzahn and Jacobs as they fell 21-15 and 21-13.
Wilson/Soto and Seidel/McWhorter were named the the OVC All-Tournament team for their performances throughout the tournament.
#2 CHATTANOOGA 3, #3 LINDENWOOD 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - For the first time in program history, Chattanooga beach volleyball can call itself Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions after UTC dominated Lindenwood 3-0 in the tournament final on Saturday.
The Mocs end their weekend as double champions, having entered the tournament as co-regular season champions following a 9-1 OVC record on the year. UTC then went on to go a perfect 3-0 this weekend in Morehead, failing to drop a match against the likes of Lindenwood and UT Martin in the double elimination bracket.
Chattanooga will now wait to hear its name called on Sunday during the 2024 NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which will air at 11 a.m. ET on NCAA.com. The NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament is set to take place May 3-5 in Gulf Shores, Alabama, at Gulf Shores Public Beach.
Neva Clark and Corina Vale finished the tournament as OVC Tournament MVPs for their efforts on Court 1 for the Mocs, while UTC's Court 2 pairing of Gylian Finch and McKenna Faychak received spots on the OVC All-Tournament Team.
The Mocs struck early on the Lions, with the consistent No. 4 pairing of Kaye Gresham and Paige Gallentine coming up big for UTC with a dominant 21-10, 21-7 victory. Chattanooga's fives then completed an important reverse sweep for the Mocs before the turn, having dropped the first set 21-19 before snagging 21-10 and 15-10 set wins to put UTC up 2-0. Needing just one more win to secure the title, all three of UTC's top three pairings were able to win their opening sets, putting the Mocs on the brink of victory. Gylian Finch and McKenna Faychak finally crossed the goal line for the Mocs, earning a 21-15, 21-13 win on Court 2. The dust settled in Morehead, and for the first time in program history, the Mocs were going dancing.