CHULA VISTA, Calif.--CSU Bakersfield opened competition at the USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge on Saturday at the Olympic Training Center.
The Roadrunners swept TCU 5-0 in the first of two duals on the day. Mariah Alvidrez (R-Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Liberty HS) and Molly O'Hagan (Sr., Tonganoxie, Kan., Tonganoxie HS) took a straight sets victory in the No. 1 slot. Danika Youngblood (Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Western Nebraska CC) and Sydney Haynes (So., Vancouver, Wash., Evergreen HS) also earned a straight sets victory in the No. 2 slot.
Sophie Flemion (Jr., San Simeon, Calif., Coast Union HS) and Sara Little (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) went to three sets against Alexa Heist and Sutton Sundstrom where the 'Runner duo earned a 15-11 in the third set to earn the victory.
Kelsee Sawyer (Jr., Temecula, Calif., Great Oak HS) and Eryn Riley (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Los Osos HS) and Megan Johnson (R-Jr., Sandy Utah, Western Nebraska CC) also had to play three sets at No. 4. Sawyer and Riley dropped the opening set 21-14 to Blaire Pickens and Sarah Grantham. The CSUB pair won set two by a 21-15 count before taking the slot 15-10 in the third set.
Star Tucker-Campbell (Jr., Moorpark, Calif., Moorpark HS) and Megan Johnson (R-Jr., Sandy Utah, Western Nebraska CC) won in straight sets in the No. 5 match.
No. 2 Pepperdine defeated the Roadrunners 5-0 in the final dual of the day. The Waves won in straight sets at No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 doubles. At No. 5, Tucker-Campbell and Luiza Martins (Sr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Western Nebraska CC) took Katie Messing and Corinne Quiggle to three sets where the Pepperdine pair won 15-10 to complete the sweep.
“We are happy with dual results,” said CSUB head coach Olivia Simko. “We took care of business against a talented TCU team. Playing Pepperdine allows us to mature as a group and individually.”
The first round of the pairs' tournament began late Saturday afternoon. Of the five Roadrunner entries in the single elimination bracket, two advances. O'Hagan and Alvidrez, the No. 4 seed defeated Sarita Miklas and Mia Swanegan of TCU 21-7, 21-9 in the first round. CSUB's team will meet Grand Canyon's Alex Green and Brook Razo in Sunday's round of 16 matchup.
Haynes and Youngblood, the No. 9 seed, defeated Alex Goodman and Becca Conrad of Grand Canyon to advance to the round of 16. Haynes and Youngblood will face Jen Dykstra and Megan Strehlow of Pepperdine, the eighth seed to begin Sunday play.
Sunday's action gets underway at 9 a.m. at the Olympic Training Center.
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