CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The No. 2 seed HCU beach team opened the 2023 Southland Conference Championships with a 3-0 win over No. 7 seed Nicholls before falling, 3-1, to No. 3 seed Boise State on Friday at Water's Edge Park.
The Huskies (16-17) made quick work of the Colonels (2-27) in the opening match. No. 5 pair
Gabi Axelrod and
Shelby O'Neal picked up the first point with a 21-6, 21-15 victory followed by
Abbey Bufkin and
Abbey Reinard taking the point at the fours, 21-12, 21-12. The final and decisive point came from No. 2 pair
Lindsay Harris and
Kristen Kleymeyer, 21-11, 21-13.
In the winner's bracket match, HCU took on a Boise State (24-8) team the Huskies split two meetings with during the regular season. In the first two matches, the teams split the points with HCU's coming from a 24-22, 21-17 win by Bufkin and Reinard at No. 4. The final two points of the dual went to the Broncos at the ones and threes while Harris and Kleymeyer were one point away from winning at the twos.
HCU is set for the 12:15 p.m. match on Saturday, Apr. 22, when they will face the winner of an elimination match between No. 5 Southeastern and No. 6 San Jose State that starts at 10:00 a.m.
