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Springfield Standard

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Missouri State hosts AVCA fall beach volleyball qualifier with national bids on the line

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Ashley Emery Head Coach | Missouri State University Athletics

Ashley Emery Head Coach | Missouri State University Athletics

Missouri State University's beach volleyball team will host the AVCA Fall Collegiate Beach Championship Qualifier on October 17 and 18 at Volleyball Beach Ozark in Ozark, Missouri. The two-day event brings together regional teams competing for spots in the AVCA Beach National Championships, which will take place November 7-9 in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Bears are coming off an 18-10 season in 2025, which included an undefeated record at home. Head coach Ashley Emery, now in her fourth year leading the program, will guide two top-ranked pairs into the qualifier: Amanda Cleary and MacKenzie Steele as the No. 1 seed, and Rylie Cepicky and Ally Larkin as the No. 2 seed. Cleary and Steele set a new school record last season for most wins by a pair, while Cepicky and Larkin were among the team's most reliable players this year.

Cepicky and Larkin are scheduled to play McKendree at 11:30 a.m. Friday, while Cleary and Steele will open against Southwest Baptist at 10 a.m. Quarterfinals will follow at 1 p.m., with semifinals set for Saturday morning at 9 a.m., and the championship match scheduled for noon.

The tournament includes both bid play—where matches are best-of-three sets—and open play, which uses single-set contests. Two winning pairs from bid play will earn entry to the national championships in Huntsville, where they will compete among 64 of the nation’s top women’s pairs.

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