Austin, TX
Beach Volleyball: Florida Atlantic goes winless in Austin at the Texas Invitational
No. 16 Florida Atlantic beach volleyball (13-11, 2-0 CUSA) was put to the test during the Texas Invitational this past weekend at the Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex in Austin, where they competed in what is widely considered one of the most competitive regular-season events in NCAA beach volleyball.
FAU entered the tournament coming off a 2-2 showing at the North Florida Invitational, dropping from No. 14 to No. 16 in the rankings.
The Owls opened the tournament against No. 3 University of Southern California (21-4) and No. 10 Long Beach State (18-6). On day two, they faced No. 2 Stanford (21-2) and No. 3 UCLA (18-3). After four hard-fought matches, the Owls finished the weekend 0-4.
Despite the challenging weekend, Head Coach Steve Grotowski had many positive takeaways. Especially when looking ahead to the postseason.
“Yeah, it’s huge for our experience. One of the big focuses this year is winning our conference, getting back to the NCAA tournament, and advancing as far as we can. So I think this weekend there were a lot of really good things, stuff that we’ve been working on at practice that I saw the girls starting to implement, and it got us really close in a few matches,” said Grotowski.
“Even if we didn’t get any wins, at the end of the day it’s about playing our best volleyball at the end of the year, and that’s always the goal.”
The highlight of the weekend came on day two when Mia Scanlon and Klaire VanDeusen, a former USC Trojan, earned a win over UCLA.
Friday, March 27th
On courts four and five, the Trojans got off to a fast start. Cameron Knifton and Allison Spittal were defeated in straight sets, 21-11, 21-14, followed by a 21-16, 21-19 loss for Reese Edwards and Kendall Mignerey, putting USC up 2-0 over Florida Atlantic.
In the second spot, Olivia Strandberg and Ava Koehl lost 21-14, 21-14, securing USC a dual victory.
On court one, Shantel Starling and Denisse Morgenstern won their first set 21-18. The Trojans responded with a 21-18 in the second set, sending the match into a third set, where USC secured the victory 15-10.
Meanwhile, in the third flight, VanDeusen and Scanlon took the opening set 17-21, before falling in a reverse sweep 21-15, 15-9. The Owls would fall again in their next matchup against Long Beach State.
In the afternoon matches, FAU took on Long Beach State and, once again, gave up an early lead as courts four and five opened the dual.
Knifton and Spittal were the first to fall in the fifth flight, dropping a straight-set match 21-18, 21-11.
On court four, Edwards and Mignerey opened the match with a 21-16 win, but The Beach responded with an 18-21, 15-11 three-set victory.
Clinching the match for Long Beach State on court two, Koehl and Strandberg fell 21-19, 21-13. On courts three and one, the pairs were also defeated in straight sets.
To cap the day, the Owls were defeated by USC and Long Beach, moving them to 0-2 for the tournament.
Saturday, March 28th
After a tough test on Friday, the competition on Saturday only got stronger as the Sandy Owls took on the top two nationally ranked teams.
The action began on court three, where Scanlon and VanDeusen fell 21-19, 21-13, followed by another straight-set loss on court four, where Edwards and Mignerey were defeated 21-14, 21-15.
Starling and Morgenstern opened with a 21-16 win before falling to the Cardinals in a close 18-21, 15-12 match on court one. Knifton and Wolf won the first set 21-14; however, Stanford bounced back with a 21-10, 15-12 win.
Wrapping up the dual in the second flight, Koehl and Strandberg dropped another three-set match.
In the weekend’s finale, the Owls faced No. 1 UCLA, who have been ranked as the top team in the country for three consecutive weeks.
The Bruins took an early lead after taking straight-set victories on courts two and one. However, Scanlon and VanDeusen cut the deficit with their straight-set sweep on court three. The pair beat Harper Cooper and Alexa Fernandez. Cooper had been undefeated at 16-0 with five different partners on the season entering the tournament. She concluded the weekend 19-1.
With their win over the Bruins, VanDeusen and Scanlon improved to a season-best 13-10 record as a pair.
UCLA secured the match with a two-set court four win, then closed the match with a three-set win at the court to end the battle 4-1.
The Owls have a bye week and will return on April 10-11, hosting their Capri Classic for senior weekend at the Florida Atlantic Beach Volleyball Complex. FAU will face Jacksonville University, Stephen F. Austin, North Florida, and Florida Gulf Coast.
Ella Haas is a Staff Writer for the University Press. Email her at [email protected] or contact her on Instagram @ella_hs7 for information regarding this or other stories.
2026 USA Triathlon Cross National Championships Full Results
Austin, Texas | April 18
Off Road/Cross Triathlon National Championship
1500m swim, 29k mountain bike, 10k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Andy Lee, 2:25:17
Overall Female Jennifer Schmidt, 3:08:37
M17-19 Michael Balbin, 3:07:57
M20-24 Ryan Chaudoin 2:39:03
M25-29 Adam Holomoucky, 2:46:30
M30-34 Chase Krivo, 2:41:52
M35-39 Andrzej Stadnik, 2:26:34
F35-39 Kate Hector, 3:44:19
M40-44 Kyle Grieser, 2:30:58
F40-44 Jessica Thiel, 3:31:57
M45-49 Trent Niemeyer, 2:36:28
F45-49 Jennifer Schmidt, 3:08:37
M50-54 Andy Lee, 2:25:17
F50-54 Erin Trail, 4:03:32
M55-59 Stephen Judice, 2:39:58
F55-59 Jeanne Hoffman, 3:25:37
M60-64 Mike Carter, 2:58:35
F60-64 Janet Soule, 3:13:05
M65-69 Cliff Millemann, 3:04:24
F65-69 Maureen Sanderson, 5:01:15
M70-74 Ken Gibson, 3:13:21
M75-79 Alan Moore, 3:50:08
Off Road/Cross Duathlon National Championship
5k run, 29k mountain bike, 10k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Jacob Hull, 2:19:49
Overall Female Tiffany Schwartz, 2:55:45
M30-34 Kyle Dow, 2:27:13
M35-39 Jacob Hull, 2:19:49
F35-39 Tiffany Schwartz, 2:55:45
M40-44 Derek Armer-Derner, 2:51:48
M50-54 Jay Moncel, 3:27:42
F50-54 Heather Anderson, 4:38:10
M55-59 CJ Stafford, 4:57:04
F55-59 Yun Saksena, 4:09:05
M60-64 Robb Reece, 3:24:41
M65-69 Brent Peacock, 2:50:00
M70-74 Mark Lindsey, 4:18:47
Off Road/Cross Triathlon Sprint National Championship
750m swim, 12k mountain bike, 5k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Tavish Quinn, 1:16:29
Overall Female Michelle Lingenfelser, 1:52:31
M14- C. Lockett, 1:35:47
M15-19 Tavish Quinn, 1:16:29
M35-39 Michael Schleckser, 1:50:47
M40-44 Justin Young, 1:45:18
F40-44 Laura Marinaro, 1:59:40
M45-49 Daniel Rossi, 1:24:42
F45-49 Nicole Morgan, 1:54:49
M50-54 Angel Martinez Ineriano, 1:31:35
F50-54 Michelle Lingenfelser, 1:52:31
M55-59 Stephen Schwarze, 1:25:14
M60-64 Curtis Miller, 1:40:54
F60-64 Nancy Hopf, 2:07:36
M65-69 Mark Drangsholt, 1:46:218
F65-69 Gunilla Gard, 2:10:15
M70-74 Steve Cole, 1:36:54
F70-74 Susan Griffin-Kaklikian, 1:57:23
Off Road/Cross Duathlon Sprint National Championship
2.5k run, 12k mountain bike, 5k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Saxby Stradinger 1:09:25
Overall Female Monica Doval, 1:38:49
Overall Clydesdale Trevor Horton, 2:23:56
Clydesdale 0-39 Trevor Horton, 2:23:56
Clydesdale 40-59 Bramer Owens, 1:47:40
M15-19 Callen Quinn, 1:34:58
M30-34 Brian Scheel, 1:43:43
M35-39 Saxby Stradinger 1:09:25
M40-44 Bryce Fluker, 1:11:52
F40-44 Morgan Aldridge, 1:39:23
M45-49 Michael Szermer, 1:34:03
F45-49 Monica Doval, 1:38:49
F50-54 Anonymous, 2:04:11
M55-59 Travis Wales, 1:19:48
F55-59 Lupe Nelson, 2:08:03
M60-64 Steve Smith, 1:14:18
F60-64 Kim Wagner, 2:23:41
M65-69 Joseph Swartz, 1:46:33
F65-69 Christine Knight, 1:57:14
M80-84 Bill Arnerich, 3:30:30
AUSTIN, Texas – This week’s rainfall across Central Texas could help to bring a much-needed boost to the region’s aquifers, which have been operating at dangerously low levels.
The backstory:
On Tuesday, the Austin area saw over an inch of rain while Georgetown received close to six inches, as the San Gabriel River rose over six feet throughout the day.
But the heavy downpour was a welcome sight for Shay Hlavaty, the communications and outreach manager at the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District.
Created by the state of Texas in 1987, the District oversees segments of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, stretching from South Austin to southern San Marcos.
In total, the portions of the aquifers they oversee provide water to around 100,000 people.
“Groundwater is a significant water source, you know. It’s kind of the unsung hero of Texas,” says Hlavaty.
But over the last few years, the region’s groundwater levels have been in decline.
“Since January 2022, we are missing over a year’s worth of rainfall. So, in the Austin area, we get about 32 to 34 inches a year. And so over that time, we have, you know, a 30-plus inch deficit,” says Hlavaty.
Since October, the District has been under a stage three exceptional drought. Those conditions are determined by two indicators: spring flow at Barton Springs and groundwater levels at the Lovelady Monitor Well.
If either of these locations drops below a drought threshold, the District could declare a more intense drought stage.
By the numbers:
Some of the latest data shows that Barton Springs isn’t performing as it needs to support the ongoing growth of the region.
“To put it into reference, the average since about 1978 at Barton springs is 60 CFS. That’s cubic feet per second. And one cubic foot is about the size of a beach ball, an average beach ball. So, 60 beach balls of water coming out every second from Barton Springs. Before this rainfall, we were closer to 12 CFS, so only 12 beach balls coming out every second, so that’s less than a quarter of average,” says Hlavaty.
That same data also shows that the Lovelady Well is 453.8 feet above mean sea level. That’s only 5 inches above the Stage 4 Emergency Response Threshold.
“This isn’t something that’s going to go away. Even if we busted this drought and get out of it, the next drought is going to be around the corner,” says Hlavaty.
Dig deeper:
But this week’s rain did provide a small boost, helping to prevent the district from potentially falling into a deeper stage of drought.
“So, we’re still in that stage three exceptional level, and this rainfall will help us stay out of that stage four emergency,” Hlavaty told FOX 7. “It’ll help stabilize, if not increase groundwater levels and spring flow.”
The total rainfall for the Austin area in April so far is 4.14 inches, well above the typical total average for the month, which is 2.42 inches. But that sort of above precipitation must continue if there is to be any chance of drought levels decreasing.
“We really need to have above average rainfall for months, if not years, to bust this drought,” says Hlavaty.
What you can do:
As May approaches, which typically brings the most rainfall throughout the year, Hlavaty urges people to cut back on water use when they can, especially watering their lawns, which can consume large amounts of drinking water.
And as Central Texas continues to see a boom in population, combined with hotter than average temperatures for February and March, conservation is as important as ever.
“It’s important to remember that a little bit of rain here, a little bit of rain there, isn’t going to best the drought. So, we all have to do our role to help conserve resources in the meantime,” says Hlavaty.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Marco Bitonel
-
Oregon6 seconds ago
Jets Select Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq with 16th Overall Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
-
Pennsylvania6 minutes agoDemocrat Josh Shapiro tests political muscle in swing-state Pennsylvania’s midterms
-
Rhode Island12 minutes agoSilver Alert issued for missing man in Cumberland, RI
-
South-Carolina18 minutes agoTwo from South Carolina charged with murder after Massachusetts man found dead in trash can
-
South Dakota24 minutes ago
SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for April 23, 2026
-
Tennessee30 minutes agoAlabama Baseball Capitalizes on Free Passes in 12-8 Win Over Tennessee
-
Texas36 minutes agoTexas attorney raises concerns as investigation continues into 2 home explosions on North Side
-
Utah42 minutes agoUtah road rage cases peak in March, data shows