The Park University Gilbert beach volleyball team's hopes of becoming the first Buccaneers' team to win a conference championship ended on Friday with a 3-1 loss to Benedictine Mesa.

  

Friday's matches were played in a clinch and cease format, meaning that the winning team moved on once the match was clinched and did not necessitate a finish from the remaining courts. The No. 1 pair (Miranda Bacon/Jenifer Lauer) did not finish their match due to this rule.

 

History was on the Buccaneers' side going into the semi-final match. They opened the tournament yesterday with a 3-2 win over the Redhawks and edged them out by the same margin in the qualifier tournament two weeks ago, but the Redhawks managed to turn the tables in their favor when it counted the most.

 

The No. 2's (Autumn Wood/Hattie Patton) pulled off the lone Buccaneers win on the day, but losses from teams No. 3 (Georgia Romine-Black/Jasmine Urban), No. 4 (Gabriela Morales/Avery Turk) and No. 5 (Kylie Carmean/Daniella Miranda-Johnson) ended the Buccaneers' tournament run.

 

After Saint Katherine was named the tournament's champions, the Buccaneers set their sights on the pairs tournament and made their presence known immediately.

 

Match three saw Hattie Patton and Autumn Wood defeat the Redhawks' pair of Violeti Falemu and Kat McCollough (21-12, 24-22), while Miranda Bacon and Jenifer Lauer defeated Hayley Rivera and Briana Rivera of Benedictine Mesa (22-20, 21-16).

 

With their wins, Wood and Patton and Bacon and Lauer move onto the pairs semi-final tomorrow at 9 a.m. from the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

 

Park University Gilbert 2, Benedictine Mesa 3 (Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5, 3)- Elite Athlete Training Center

*Did Not Finish

 

1. Miranda Bacon/Jenifer Lauer (PUG) vs. Violeti Falemu/Kathryn McCollough (BENU), (DNF)*

2. Autumn Wood/Hattie Patton (PUG) def. Brianna Rivera/Hayley Rivera (BENU), 2-0, (21-19, 21-16)

3. Jackie Woods/Paige Padilla (BENU) def. Georgia Romine-Black/Jasmine Urban (PUG), 2-0, (21-16, 22-20)

4. Jaylynn Nihipali/Anabelle Somoza (BENU) def. Gabriela Morales/Avery Turk (PUG), 2-0, (21-9, 21-11)

5. Mikayla Flores/Destiny Ramirez (BENU) def. Kylie Carmean/Daniella Miranda-Johnson (PUG), 2-0, (21-15, 21-13)

 

Pairs Results

 

Match 1: Samantha Shaffer/Olivia Muriel (USK) def. Erin Clark/Kat Yung (ERAU), 2-1 (23-21, 17-21, 15-9)

 

Match 2: Kaylin Henderson/Rene Wash (USK) def. Erika Herr/Julia Kjenstad (ERAU), 2-0 (21-12, 21-8)

 

Match 3: Hattie Patton/Autumn Wood (PUG) def. Violeti Falemu/Kat McCollough (BENU), 2-0, (21-12, 24-22)

 

Match 4: Miranda Bacon/Jenifer Lauer (PUG) def. Haley Rivera/Briana Rivera (BENU), 2-0, (22-20, 21-16)