Beach Volleyball Claims Division II National Championship
The Colorado Mesa University Beach Volleyball team made history by claiming the Division II National Championship at the AVCA Small College Championships at Hickory Point Beach.With the sun beating down the Mavericks turned in two standout performances to close out the tournament on top.
In the semis the Mavs drew defending National Champion Tampa, battling it out to the very last flight.
Tampa claimed the first point of the dual at the No. 2 flight, the dynamic duo of Sierra Hunt and Ara Norwood tying it up with straight set sweep in the No. 4 spot.
The Spartans took back the lead with a win at ones, turning all eyes to the final two courts.
Both the threes and the fives went to three sets, Jada Hall and Jessa Megenhardt evening the score at the three spot, rallying off three aces en route to the win.
It came down to the fives pair of Tye Wedhorn and Sabrina VanDeList who clinched the dual with a 15-12 win in the third, sending the team to championship match.
Hours later the Mavs took to the sand against Spring Hill College for the final to claim it all.
All five courts going at once, the fours pair of Norwood and Hunt put the first point on the board for CMU. Spring Hill took the threes pair for a brief tie before Wedhorn and VanDeList made it a 2-1 advantage – needing one more point for the match.
That clinching point came from Holly Schmidt and Macie Lachemann on the twos court, winning the battle, 22-20.
Hahni Johnson and Savannah Spitzer picked up All-American honors, firsts for both players.
The win is the first for the program, making history as the first non-coastal school to take it all. They wrap up the season with a 16-10 record, dropping just a single match the entire tournament for a 5-1 record.