TAVARES, Fla. --- The Tusculum University women's beach volleyball team lost its two matches on Saturday (Apr. 13) to the top two seeds at the AVCA Small College Beach Championships.

Tusculum (20-11) battles in the Silver Bracket at the AVCA Tournament on Sunday, April 14. The Pioneers will face Texas A&M Kingsville at 8 a.m. The other half of the bracket features Carson-Newman and Palm Beach Atlantic. At 11:45 a.m., the winners will meet for fifth place and the losers will vie for seventh.

Match 1: Concordia Irvine 3, Tusculum 0
The No. 2 seeded Golden Eagles swept the Pioneers in the programs' first-ever meeting.

At the top flight, Kyla Oppenhuis and Brynn Smith fell 21-13, 21-6.

The 2's of Morgan Browne and Olivia Browne dropped a 21-16, 21-10 decision.

Stepping in at the fifth flight were Katie Murphy and Morgan Willis, seeing their first action of the weekend. The duo were on the wrong end of a 21-10, 21-14 result.

Match 2: Tampa 3, Tusculum 0
The Spartans, a perennial powerhouse, are the winners of three of the last five championships, knocking off the Pioneers to advance to the Gold Bracket.

Murphy and Willis suffered another loss at No. 5 by scores of 21-6, 21-12.

Hannah Marsh and Riley Rushing garnered their first result of the day at the 3's, dropping a 21-13, 21-12 finish.

The Browne twins lost 21-13, 21-14 to their No. 2 opposites to clinch the match for Tampa.