Missouri State University’s beach volleyball team completed an undefeated weekend at the Beach Bear Bash in Ozark, Missouri, winning all four matches against Southwest Baptist, Eastern Kentucky, Central Arkansas, and Lindenwood. The Bears secured three 5-0 sweeps and a 4-1 victory, ending the event with a 19-1 record in flight play.
A standout performance came from Rylie Cepicky in the top pairing against Lindenwood, where she recorded nine blocks. This effort was noted as key to the team’s strong showing throughout the weekend.
Head coach Ashley Emery commented on the team’s efforts: “Another great weekend in the books for our Bears — full of grit, hustle, and heart from our entire roster, 1–15. This group really has that ‘it’ factor. Getting a shot at Lindenwood and earning some redemption after last weekend brought a whole new level of excitement. The plays, the toughness, the momentum… it all showed up. The drive this team has to get better every single day never stops impressing us. We are proud of this group and fired up for what’s next.”
The Bears opened play on Friday by sweeping Southwest Baptist. Cepicky and Allyson Larkin won their match at Flight No. 1 with scores of 21-8 and 21-7. Other pairings also delivered straight-set victories.
Later that day, Missouri State defeated Eastern Kentucky 4-1. Cepicky and Larkin prevailed in three sets at Flight No. 1 while other pairings contributed wins at Flights No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5. The only point lost by Missouri State during the tournament came at Flight No. 4 against Eastern Kentucky after a close three-set match.
On Saturday, Missouri State continued its success with another sweep over Central Arkansas before finishing with a win over Lindenwood by another 5-0 margin.
Missouri State will return to competition March 13-14 at the ULM Bayou Bash in Monroe, Louisiana.
