CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – After sweeping the weekend at its home tournament, Austin Peay State University's beach volleyball team is back on the sand at the EKU Beach Tournament, Friday and Saturday, at Eastern Kentucky's Beach Volleyball Facility in Richmond, Kentucky.
Austin Peay opens with a 10 a.m. (CT), Friday match against Liberty and a 3 p.m., Friday match against Tusculum before playing 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. matches against Eastern Kentucky and Liberty to close the weekend, Saturday.
This weekend will be the Governors third and fourth matches of the season against Liberty and their third match against Eastern Kentucky. Austin Peay is 2-0 all-time against Liberty, with both wins coming earlier this season, and is 5-2 all-time against Eastern Kentucky, with both losses coming earlier this season at the Grand Sands Tournament. The Govs are also 1-0 all-time against Tusculum after sweeping the Pioneers, 5-0, in the first meeting during the 2019 season.
Liberty enters the weekend after going 3-1 in its last tournament with wins over Spartanburg Methodist, Erskine, and Catawba. Tusculum is 5-7 this season – with three losses to nationally ranked opponents – and enters the weekend after sweeping a doubleheader with Morehead State. Finally, the Colonels are 8-6 this season but enter their own tournament on a four-match losing streak after getting swept in a doubleheader by UNC Wilmington.
The Preseason ASUN All-Conference duo of Marlayna Bullington and Kelsey Mead lead the Govs with a 9-3 record this season, they have gone 8-3 in the No. 1 position and 1-0 in the No. 2 position. Bullington and Mead are on a team-best four-match winning streak and lead Austin Peay with an 8-2 record in their last 10 matches.
The pairing of Chloee McDaniel and Mikayla Powell are also on a team-best four-match winning streak after picking up a win over UT Martin on the No. 1 line in the finale of the Governors Beach Challenge. McDaniel and Powell are 7-5 overall this season with a 6-5 mark on the No. 2 line and a 1-0 record in the No. 1 spot.
Jamie Seward leads the Govs with five wins on the No. 3 line where she is 3-0 when partnered with Erin Eisenhart and 2-3 when paired with Elizabeth Wheat. The Seward-Wheat tandem has also partnered to go 3-0 in the No. 4 pairing, where Eisenhart has partnered with Tegan Seyring to also post a 3-0 record.
On the No. 4 line, Eisenhart has gone 1-0 when partnered with Karli Graham and Jenna Salyer while Seyring has also played to a 1-0 mark with Graham. The duo of Wheat and Tristin Smith is also 1-0 in the No. 4 pairing for Austin Peay this season.
Graham leads the Governors with five wins on the No. 5 line this season with three victories coming with Smith and the other two coming with Seyring. Smith has also partnered with fellow freshman Emily Freel to win the lone match they have played together in the No. 5 pairing this season.
After this weekend's trip to the Bluegrass State, Austin Peay is back in action at the UAB Beach Classic, March 31-April 1, where it takes on Jacksonville State, UAB, Louisiana-Monroe, and Mercer at the UAB Beach Volleyball Courts in Birmingham, Alabama. For news and updates on everything Governors beach volleyball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsBVB) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com.
