GULF SHORES BEACH, Ala. - The 2023 SUN Conference Beach Volleyball Championship Tournament occurred over Easter weekend, with the two-day tournament being held in Gulf Shores, Ala. on Apr. 7-8. The University of Mobile Beach Volleyball team earned the No. 3 seed of the tournament, finishing the 2023 regular season with a 8-2 conference record.
In the double-elimination tournament, Mobile dropped two of three matches played on day one on Friday, failing to reach the semifinals of the event on Saturday. The overall record falls back to .500 on the year at 13-13 following the conference tournament.
Rough Friday Ends Mobile's Bid for SUN Conference Title
To open the tournament on Friday morning, Mobile faced Loyola University (La.), who earned the No. 6 seed following the regular season. Loyola managed a 3-2 upset win over Mobile, with the Rams seeing the two victories come from the third and fifth flights of the match. Haley Jones and Danielle Pote managed a 2-1 win from the third flight, while Emma Todd and Veronica Makovey won 2-0 from the fifth-seeded match.
Following the loss, Mobile battled Warner University later on Friday in the loser's bracket and came away with a dominating 3-0 win. Mobile's three wins came from flights one, four, and five, with all three being 2-0 victories. Mobile's top seed of Aspen Adams and Layton Adams closed out the match with a sweep, while the fourth-seeded pair of Jordan Wood and Tatum Beech and Mobile's No. 5 duo of Todd and Makovey started the afternoon match with 2-0 wins.
Later on Friday evening, Mobile faced off with Southeastern University with a spot to the semifinals on the line. Unfortunately for the Rams, Mobile suffered another upset and fell 3-2 to the Fire, officially being eliminated from the tournament. Mobile's top seed of the Adams sisters and fourth seed of Wood and Beech were the two victors in the match for the Rams, with the decider being the third-seeded match that went in favor of Southeastern in three sets.
On to the AVCA
With Mobile's hopes for a conference title over, the Rams now turns the attention to the annual AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball Tournament this upcoming weekend. Out of eight entrants, Mobile once again earned the No. 3 seed and is scheduled to face Truett McConnell University on Friday, Aor. 14 at 10:10 a.m. CT. The Rams defeated Truett McConnell earlier in the season, 3-2.
This year's AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball Tournament will be held in Tavares Beach, Fla. on Apr. 14-15.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
