BABSON PARK, Fla.- The Ave Maria University beach volleyball team began the 2021 season on Saturday, playing two matches on the campus of Webber International University in Babson Park. The Gyrenes fell 4-1 to the host Webber Warriors, then earned their first win of the season with a 4-1 triumph over the Warner University Royals. Both matches were conference contests, putting AMU at 1-1 in Sun Conference play.

In the opener, AMU's lone point was provided by the team of Katie Grose and Flavia Rusterholz. The duo, playing at the number one spot, took the first set over Webber's top team of Emily Bowen and Montana-Rae Pelak, 21-19. After falling 24-22 in the second set, Grose and Rusterholz rallied for a 15-13 win in the decisive third set to take the match. 

Webber won the other four matches, with the number two match the only one to go three sets. In that contest, AMU's team of Cabriella Bouterse and Miah Pena won the first set 21-17 before falling 21-15 and 15-8 in the final two sets.

Against Warner, the Gyrenes earned two three-set victories, which made the difference in a 4-1 win over Warner. The number one team of Grose and Rusterholz finished off an undefeated day with a 22-20, 21-15 win over Warner's team of Alex Gonzalez and former Gyrene Lauren Ruby. With the wins, Grose moved to 4-1 all-time in beach play, with a 2-1 record last season adding to her two wins with Rusterholz on Saturday.

Lily Grasso and Victoria Schein also earned a win in straight sets in the number four spot, defeating Alyssa Muench and Brianna Howard, 21-16, 21-12.

The first of AMU's three-set wins was provided by the number two team of Bouterse and Pena. The duo lost 21-15 against Madison Hughes and Adeline Anthony in the first set, but came back for nail-biting wins of 23-21 and 17-15 in the final two sets. AMU's number five team of Zelie Kessler and Reina Thomas also came back from a 1-0 deficit to claim a 19-21, 21-12, 15-13 win over Warner's Miranda Manduley and Mackenzie Rattedge.

Ave Maria's next match will be on Wednesday, when the Gyrenes travel to the east coast for a meeting with the Bobcats of St. Thomas University. Opening serve of the match, which will be AMU's final competition until March 13, is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Miami Gardens.