TAMPA, Fla. – The HCU beach volleyball team continues to face high-level competition this coming weekend when the Huskies travel to Tampa for the Tampa Invite 2 with a pair of ranked opponents on the docket.
Through the first two tournaments of the season, HCU (1-7) has played four matches against ranked opponents with seven of eight opponents boasting records of .500 or better. The Huskies'
Mary Alper and
Abbey Bufkin own a 3-3 record so far while playing as the No. 2 pair while No. 1 pairing of
Kristen Kleymeyer and
Kristin Gilmour are 3-5.
Day one on Friday, Mar. 8, opens against fourth-ranked Florida State (7-0) at 10:00 a.m. CT before facing Florida Gulf Coast (7-3) at 2:00 p.m. CT. The Seminoles earned three wins over ranked opponents last week and so far this season have won six of seven duals in 5-0 sweeps. FSU defeated No. 16 Georgia State, 4-1. FGCU split a pair of home duals this past Tuesday, defeating Eckerd in a 5-0 sweep before falling to Tampa (5-5), 3-2. The Eagles' Shelby Beisner and Trinity Rosales enjoyed a 2-0 day on Tuesday.
The Huskies will face Coastal Carolina (4-4) on Saturday, Mar. 9, at 11:00 a.m. CT before taking on the host Spartans at 3:00 p.m. CT. The Chanticleers went 2-2 last weekend with wins over College of Charleston and Chattanooga and dropping a pair of 3-2 decisions to South Carolina and UNC-Wilmington. Tampa, meanwhile, has faced seven ranked opponents in 10 duals with wins over 17
th-ranked South Carolina and No. 11 Florida Atlantic.
HCU will be in Youngsville, La. next weekend for the Sugar Beach Bash with the team's first Southland Conference matchup of the season against New Orleans in addition to duals against Tulane, Tampa and Stephen F. Austin.
