MARTIN, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University's beach volleyball team dropped a pair of 3-2 matches against Chattanooga and UT Martin, Thursday, at the Skyhawk Beach Volleyball Complex.

The Governors opened the day's events with a nail-bitter finish against the Mocs.

The No. 4 pairing of Anna Rita and Riley Marshall opened the match with a straight-set (21-12, 21-14) victory against UTC's Maddie Myers-Osband and Grace Frigaar, but UTC answered back with two-straight wins coming from the No. 5 and No. 3 courts.

Facing a 2-1 deficit, APSU's top pairing of Kelsey Mead and Aurora Bibolotti won their match from the No. 1 position, 21-16, 21-19, to tie the two Volunteer State foes at two points apiece and make the winner of the No. 2 court the decider. 

After dropping their first set, 22-20, Jamie Seward and Jillian Stein battled back to defeat UTC's Gylian Finch and McKenna Faychak 21-12 in the second frame, but fell in a narrow, 15-13 third set.

In the nightcap, UT Martin claimed the first two points with wins from the No. 5 and No. 3 courts, before Rita and Marshall came back to clinch APSU's first point of the match in a 15-13 third-set decision. 

The Skyhawks then clinched the victory from the No. 2 court, before Mead and Bibolotti won a 21-18, 21-19 match from the No. 1 position.

Next up, the Governors return home for the first time in 2024 when they host Atlantic Sun Conference foes Central Arkansas, North Alabama, and Eastern Kentucky, March 22-23, at the Atkins Family Beach Volleyball Facility to begin the second half of the season.

Results vs. Chattanooga

1. Kelsey Mead/Aurora Bibolotti (APSU) def. Neva Clark/Corina Vale (UTC) 21-16, 21-19 

2. Gylian Finch/McKenna Faychak (UTC) def. Jamie Seward/Jillian Stein (APSU) 20-22, 21-12, 15-13

3. Maddie Lecik/Joy Courtright (UTC) def. Mikayla Powell/Montana-Rae Pelak (APSU) 21-12, 21-15

4. Anna Rita/Riley Marshall (APSU) def. Maddi Myers-Osband/Grace Frigaard (UTC) 21-12, 21-14

5. Morgan Romano/Julia Lawrence (UTC) def. Elizabeth Wheat/Tristin Smith (APSU) 21-14, 22-20

Results vs. UT Martin

1. Kelsey Mead / Aurora Bibolotti (APSU) def. Olivia O' Keefe / Jenna Vallee (UTM) 21-18, 21-19

2., Sydney Eckhardt / Dylan Mott (UTM) def. Jamie Seward / Jillian Stein (APSU) 21-15, 21-23, 15-5

3. Ryan Rednour / Addy Vaughn (UTM) def. Mikayla Powell / Emily Freel (APSU) 21-18, 21-19

4. Anna Rita / Riley Marshall (APSU) def. Haeleigh Paulino / Kristin Phillips (UTM) 17-21, 21-10, 15-13

5. Kayla Carrell / Reagan McGee (UTM) def. Tristin Smith / Anna Kate Clark (APSU) 21-16, 21-13