MIAMI GARDENS, Fla- The Ave Maria University beach volleyball team concluded conference play with their fourth consecutive win on Wednesday evening, thanks to a 4-1 triumph over the Lions of Florida Memorial University. AMU wrapped up the second seed in next weekend's Sun Conference Tournament with the victory, setting the Gyrenes up with an opportunity at a conference championship.

Three of the five matches were decided in three sets, with the Gyrenes winning all three. At the number one position, Flavia Rusterholz and Katie Grose won the first set 22-20, then dropped a 21-18 decision in the second. With the match on the line, Rusterholz and Grose rolled to a 15-5 victory over FMU's  Olivia Dodd andAzmabeth Infante.

At the number two position, Cabriella Bouterse and Miah Pena followed a similar formula, albeit with a much closer third set. The pair won 21-14 in the first, then saw the match evened with a 21-15 defeat. The third set came down to the wire, but Bouterse and Pena pulled out a crucial 16-14 win to take the match. 

Katie O'Donnell and Alejandra Suarez also won the first set and lost the second, but came up with a dominating performance in the third set. After splitting the first two sets, O'Donnell and Suarez rolled to a 15-3 win in the tiebreaker, clinching the victory for Ave Maria.

The lone Gyrene win in straight sets was provided by Victoria Schein and Lily Grasso. Playing at the number four position, Schein and Grasso won back-to-back nailbiters against FMU's duo of Jesennia Bonilla and Biancaliz Cruz. The Gyrene duo won both sets by scores of 21-19 to earn the point for AMU. Schein and Grasso are Ave Maria's only undefeated team, winning all four matches they've played together, which have all come against conference opponents. 

Florida Memorial's lone win came at the number five spot, as Dana Noel and Rafaela Nogueria earned a 21-14, 21-15 win over AMU's Zelie Kessler and Reina Thomas.

Thanks to the victory over the Lions, Ave Maria finishes the conference slate with a 4-1 record, which will place the Gyrenes second in The Sun Conference Tournament next weekend. Webber International University, with a 4-0 record, will hold the number one seed. The winner of a match next week between Warner and Florida Memorial will determine the number three seed, which will also be AMU's first round opponent. Webber will be the host of the Championships, which are scheduled for March 27.