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HOUSTON – HBU will host the 2022 Southland Conference Beach Volleyball Championship Friday through Sunday at Third Coast Volleyball Club.
 
The Huskies are the defending champion after winning the inaugural conference title in 2021 and will enter this year's event as the No. 2 seed. HBU will face No. 3 New Orleans in the first round at noon. No. 4 Southeastern will play No. 5 Nicholls at 11 a.m., with the winner advancing to face top-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1 p.m.
 
With a double-elimination format, Saturday's matches will also be played at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. The first match Sunday will be played at 11 a.m., followed by the championship at 1 p.m.
 
Juniors Maddie Butters and Lauren Huggins have been HBU's top pair, with freshman Abbey Reinard and sophomore Alison Stanfill in the No. 2 spot. Junior Kristen Kleymeyer has played at No. 3 with junior Lindsay Harris and sophomore Danielle Okeke. Senior Brennan Miller has played at No. 4 with Mary Alper, with sophomore Shelby O'Neal and freshman Gabi Axelrod rounding out the lineup at No. 5.
 
For the first time, the winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Beach Volleyball Championship, which begins May 4 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.