TMU Beach Volleyball split with Hope International and Vanguard in Huntington Beach on Friday, marking the end of the Mustangs' 2021 season.
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"I'm proud of the progress the girls made this year," Master's head coach
Annett Davis said. "Still being a new sport and girls getting used to the game and systems, I think we did well overall."
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Master's began Friday with a 3-2 win over Hope International. Number one pairing
Desi Brown and
Katie Emmerling won in straight sets (21-15, 21-10), while TMU's fourth (
Caihannah-Jane Catabona,
Gwen Garate) and fifth (
Alicia Castillo,
Anna Poole) duos were awarded victories by default.
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"We struggled vs. Hope today, not playing our best," Davis said. "But as with all tough things, we had a choice – to play that way again or to use that disappointment to fertilize our success."
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The Mustangs responded in the afternoon against Vanguard, which finished the regular season unbeaten in Golden State Athletic Conference play, by taking two points off the Lions.
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"In our match against Vanguard, our team bounced back," Davis said. "Even though we didn't win the overall match, several of our teams played some of the best beach volleyball of the year."
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The number three pairing of
Kasie Spencer and
Kylie Clouse picked up TMU's first point against Vanguard, winning its match by set scores of 21-11, 21-16. Brown and Emmerling then helped the Mustangs finish strong, winning at number one (21-23, 21-17, 15-10).
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"Our one's team had some unfinished business," Davis said. "They showed up today wanting to beat Vanguard since they lost to them earlier this season. Their match victory was a sweet ending to an amazing year for Desi and Katie."
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Brown and Emmerling finish the season 14-2 as a duo, which includes five wins against NCAA Division I opposition.
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Master's completes its second year as a program with a 4-12 overall record in 2021, with a 4-4 mark in the GSAC to place the Mustangs third in the conference.
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