WILMINGTON, N.C. (March 31, 2018) – The Webber International University beach volleyball team finished up the University of North Carolina Wilmington Dig & Dive Invitational, played on Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31, with wins over Missouri Baptist University and NCAA Division-II Carson-Newman University. The Warriors defeated MBU 4-1 and swept CNU 5-0, but were also swept by two NCAA Division-I schools, the University of North Florida and the College of Charleston.

The Warrior duos that earned two wins at the tournament were Carlee Baxter and Amber Lake in the No. 1 spot, Hannah Tannone and Emily Bowen in the No. 2 spot, Laura Embry and Salla Rautiainen in the No. 3 spot, and Kaxandra Naranjo and Molly Fusarelli, who defeated CNU in the No. 4 spot and beat MBU in the No. 5 spot.

The highlight for the Warriors' win over CNU featured a well-deserved 21-13, 21-23, 15-13 three-set win by Naranjo and Fusarelli; while against MBU, two of Webber's four wins came in three sets starting with Baxter and Lake winning 21-16, 18-21, 15-6 and Tannone and Bowen winning 19-21, 23-21, 15-8.

The other wins for Webber in the sweep over CNU featured victories at the No. 1 spot by Baxter and Lake (21-16, 21-15), the No. 2 spot by  Bowen and Tannone (21-13, 21-14), the No. 3 position by Embry and Rautiainen (25-23, 21-15) and the No. 5 spot by Teryn Mills and Jessica Terry (21-14, 21-19).

In addition to the win over MBU, day one also featured the second meeting of the season between Webber and North Florida after the Ospreys defeated the Warriors 4-1 in the first day of the season back on February 24.

In that first meeting, Webber's No. 1 duo of Baxter and Bowen defeated UNF's top duo in a thrilling three sets by a score of 20-22, 24-22, 15-10. This time around, Baxter teamed up with Lake in the No. 1 spot and fell to a different No. 1 duo for the Ospreys, Carina Hoff and Courtney Miller, in another three-setter 21-14, 19-21, 15-11

In the No 2 position, Bowen and Tannone fell to the duo Baxter and Bowen took down last time, Taryn Griffey and Chaney Howard, this time by a score of 21-13, 21-10.

Against the College of Charleston, which is ranked No. 20 in NCAA D-I, Baxter and Lake fell 21-16, 21-13 in the No. 1 spot and Embry and Rautiainen lost 21-13, 21-14 in the No. 3 position.

With only one match remaining before the American Volleyball Coaches' Association Small College Beach Championship, Webber, now 7-11 on the season, will next host NCAA Division-III Huntington College in Babson Park, Florida, at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 6. The Warriors are currently 3-0 on the year against fellow NAIA teams and are 3-4 against NCAA Division-II opponents.