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Champions! TCU Wins CUSA Title - TCU Athletics
YOUNGSVILLE, La. – TCU won the CUSA Championship in its inaugural year in the conference on Saturday after defeating Tulane 3-0 at Sugar Beach.
GoFrogs: Champions! TCU Wins CUSA Title
YOUNGSVILLE, La. – TCU won the CUSA Championship in its inaugural year in the conference on Saturday after defeating Tulane 3-0 at Sugar Beach.
In its first season as a member of CUSA, TCU, who earned the No. 1 seed heading into the championship, went 4-0 to earn the conference title. TCU defeated Tarleton State (3-0), Tulane (3-0) and No. 19 FAU (3-1) before beating the Green Wave a second time in the finals.
"As a coach, I'm very proud of this team," head coach Hector Gutierrez said. "We faced some challenging conditions the entire weekend dealing with the wind, but the players rose to the occasion and showed incredible resilience and adaptability. Kudos to the players for their determination and to the staff for their support. Building a winning mindset and strong character is essential for success in any sport, and it's evident that this team has those qualities in abundance. Thanks to all the staff and players that didn't have the chance to play because they were amazing on the sidelines."
Olivia Clines and Anete Namike earned Pair of the Tournament honors for going 4-0 on the weekend, all from the No. 5 position. The two never lost a set across four matches.
Hailey Hamlett, Anhelina Khmil, Sutton MacTavish and Ana Vergara were named to the CUSA All-Tournament team as well. The Horned Frogs led CUSA with six selections to the All-Tournament team.
TCU has now won back-to-back conference championships as the Frogs also won the 2023 CCSA Championship.
With the win, TCU earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships.
QUICK HITS AGAINST TULANE
• Sutton MacTavish and Ana Vergara secured the first point for TCU with a straight-set victory from the No. 2 position: 21-15, 21-15.
• The duo went a perfect 4-0 at the CUSA Tournament and also recorded two match-clinching points for the Frogs.
• MacTavish improved her win total to 102 on her career while Vergara now has 80.
• Olivia Clines and Anete Namike continued their perfect weekend as they won from court five: 21-17, 21-11.
• After never losing a set in the CUSA Championships, Clines and Namike were named the Pair of the Tournament.
• The duo had never played together before the tournament and went a perfect 4-0 on the weekend.
• Clinching the match for the Horned Frogs was the duo of Hailey Hamlett and Anhelina Khmil from the No. 1 position: 21-14, 21-19.
• The pairing is now 22-3 this season, all from court one.
• Playing to clinch, Tara Patton/Morgan Williams' and Emma Glagau/Keagan Polk's matches were left unfinished.
• TCU has won eight straight matches against the Green Wave and now lead 10-4 all time.
• TCU won the CUSA Championship in its first year in the conference.
• The Horned Frogs are back-to-back conference champions after winning the CCSA Championship last year.
• With the automatic bid, the Horned Frogs are set for their fourth straight NCAA Championships appearance.
Up Next
No. 6 TCU (29-7) plays in the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships (May 3-5) in Gulf Shores, Ala. The NCAA selection show airs at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday, April 28 on NCAA.com.
FOLLOW THE FROGS
For more information on TCU beach volleyball, visit gofrogs.com and follow the team on social media: @TCUBeachVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
