GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University beach volleyball team split its lone home doubleheader against Morehead State on Monday (Apr. 3), finishing with a 3-1 record over the Eagles in 2023. TU also honored Emma Johnson, Mackenzie Shirley, and Emylie Green in between matches for Senior Day.
Tusculum (7-10) goes for a three-peat at the SAC Beach Challenge on Friday (Apr. 7). The Pioneers begin with the host Catawba at 11 a.m., followed by Carson-Newman at 12:30 p.m. The top two teams compete for the title at 4 p.m.
Match 1: Morehead State 3, Tusculum 2
The Pioneers suffered its first setback against the Eagles this season in the first match of the twin billing.
Green and Shirley got the start at the exhibition sixth flight to honor their contributions to the program. However, the pair fell 21-11, 21-8.
Landry Tea and Riley Rushing were the next to finish as the 5's, dropping a tight 21-19, 21-17 contest.
Jordyn Anderson and Kyla Oppenhuis had mirror-image scores at No. 4, 21-17, 21-19, as Morehead State took a 2-0 lead.
Johnson and Hannah Marsh tallied Tusculum's first point as the winners of flight two, 21-14, 21-17.
The Eagles clinched at No. 1. Kassidy Mercado and Morgan Pacione took the 21-8, 22-20 loss.
Charlyn Miller and Katie McLamb gutted out a three-set victory for TU's second score, needing overtime in two of the frames (25-27, 21-12, 19-17).
With enough players available, the teams also sent out 7's. Katie Murphy and Addison Williams nearly pulled off a comeback, but came up short (10-21, 21-7, 12-15).
Match 2: Tusculum 3, Morehead State 2
A two pairings made their season debut in the second match of the day.
Tea and Oppenhuis excelled as a new pair, sweeping the fifth flight of Morehead State, 21-6, 21-16.
Diana Bierwagen and Emily Venable were the exhibition sixth flight, dropping a 21-11, 21-16 decision.
The Eagles tied the match at 1-all as Anderson and Rushing ran out of steam in their first match together, 23-21, 21-8.
Miller and McLamb upped their winning streak to eight matches with a 21-17, 21-13 showing at No. 3.
In true Senior Day fashion, Johnson helped clinch the win. She and Marsh made quick work of their No. 2 opposites for the needed third point, 21-13, 21-14.
Mercado and Pacione finalized the match with identical set scores, 13-21, 13-21.
