KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Missouri Baptist University women's beach volleyball team, who went 0-4 at the 2022 Texas A&M University-Kingsville Tournament, made sure they didn't come away emptyhanded to kick off the 2023 campaign. After dropping the season opener to University of Louisiana Monroe, 5-0, MBU bounced back Friday afternoon with a 4-1 victory over East Texas Baptist University.
 
Playing the always tough back-to-back matches, the Spartans also split Saturday's contests with a 3-2 triumph over University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and 5-0 loss to host Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
With very little practice time on the sand leading up to this weekend due to weather constraints, the Nick & Dee Herman Invitational represented an opportunity for Chris Nichols' squad to shake off the rust and explore new pairings. Despite having an experienced group with just two newcomers, the only returning pair who played with one another in 2022 is Natalie Edson and Marina Obradovic.
 
University of Louisiana Monroe def. Missouri Baptist University, 5-0
NCAA Division I opponent Louisiana Monroe won all but a set in the two teams' respective season openers. The Warhawks secured 21-8, 21-4 and 21-6, 21-6 wins at No. 4 and No. 2 doubles to begin the contest.
 
Senior Emma Lattimore and sophomore Kirsten van der Vleuten were on the cusp of a Set One victory at No. 3 doubles but fell short 21-19. ULM's Tamsie Black and Brooke Hoven took Set Two, 21-10.
 
Liz van Houwelingen and Nathiellen Machado opened the season at No. 1 doubles and suffered a 21-12, 21-14 setback in their first action together.
 
Maria Hanusik and Gabi Jakubowska, both from Poland, recorded MBU's one set win in the match – 21-19 – but couldn't hold off Louisiana Monroe's Kaylie and Kaitlyn Beck, who took Sets Two and Three, 21-15 and 15-6.
 
Missouri Baptist University def. East Texas Baptist University, 4-1
MoBap picked up its first win of 2023 defeating East Texas Baptist with wins at No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 doubles. After playing 1's in the Louisiana Monroe match, upperclassmen Liz van Houwelingen and Nathiellen Machado won handily at No. 2 doubles against the Tigers, 21-9, 21-9.
 
MBU's next win came at No. 5 doubles where the Polish duo of Hanusik and Jakubowska swept ETBU's Riley Tuck and Maggie Smitherman, 21-9, 21-13.
 
The Spartans' only loss to the Tigers came at No. 1 where Sara Klunder and freshman Paige Glueck fell 21-18, 21-13 to East Texas Baptist's pair – Ashely Salas and Antonia Redfern.
 
At No. 3, Emma Lattimore and Kirsten van der Vleuten bounced back with vengeance after a narrow 22-20 loss in Set One to win Set Two, 21-11. In their tiebreaker set, Lattimore and van der Vleuten.
 
Rounding out the Spartans' victories were Marina Obradovic and Natalie Edson at No. 4 doubles. In two close sets, the lone returning duo edged ETBU 21-17 in the first set before going extra points and securing a 23-21 win.
 
Missouri Baptist University def. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-2
The Spartans picked up a second straight win defeating Mary Hardin-Baylor 3-2 in Saturday morning's 8 a.m. match. Every flight was action packed with four sets going to extra points and more than half determined by less than three points.
 
Hanusik and Jakubowska gave MBU an early 1-0 lead winning at No. 5 doubles, 21-10, 21-12. UMHB evened the match with a 21-19, 21-11 over Klunder and Glueck in the No. 2 spot. The Crusaders inched one step closer to a match win after securing a 22-20, 21-13 win over Lattimore and van der Vleuten at No. 3s.
 
The Spartans needed a rally with two matches remaining. Liz van Houwelingen and Nathiellen Machado delivered and evened it at two apiece defeating UMHB's No. 1s Dravyn Hurd and Cami Davis. All eyes turned to No. 4's court where Natalie Edson and Marina Obradovic took Set One, 21-18, and were moments away but fell 24-22. In dramatic fashion, the tiebreaker set went long and the Spartans outlasted Gracia Nichols and Mindy Conger, 16-14, to get win No. 2 on the year.
 
Texas A&M University-Kingsville def. Missouri Baptist University, 5-0
After several tight battles against Mary Hardin-Baylor, the Spartans ran out of steam in their final match at the Javelina Beach Courts. Texas A&M-Kingsville won all five flights and didn't yield a set to MoBap, who went back to van Houwelingen and Machado at No. 1 doubles (21-15, 25-18) and moved up Latimore and van der Vleuten to No. 2 (21-14, 21-13).