AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University beach volleyball team swept their way through the northwest pod of The Sun Conference this weekend, winning matches against the University of Mobile and William Carey University at the AMU Beach Courts. The Gyrenes swept Mobile on Friday, winning 5-0, then took four of five matches in a 4-1 win over William Carey on Saturday morning. 

Ave Maria swept all five matches on Friday, taking each decision in straight sets. Ave Maria's top team of Lily Witkoski and Alejandra Suarez had the most dominant win, beating Mobile's Abby Andrews and Brinkley Hearn, 21-5, 21-13. Miah Pena and Cabriella Bouterse also controlled their match, as Mobile's number two team did not exceed 15 points in either set of a 21-14, 21-13 win for AMU. 

The Gyrenes continued their success at the number three spot, as Zelie Kessler and Katie Grose won their third consecutive match with a 21-14, 21-12 win. Lily Grasso and Victoria Schein earned a 21-15, 21-17 victory at the number four spot, and Reina Thomas and Abigail Costlow rounded out the sweep with a 21-13, 21-19 win at the fifth position. 

On Saturday, the Gyrenes moved to 3-1 in Sun Conference play with a 4-1 win over William Carey. Witkoski and Suarez remained undefeated with their fourth Sun Conference win, a 21-18, 21-12 triumph over Carey's team of Baylee Fairbanks and Carly Merry. Pena and Bouterse also won their second match of the weekend, winning 21-14, 21-13.

William Carey earned their lone point at the number three spot, as Reagan Huff and Rachel Hartmann won back-to-back nailbiting sets over Grose and Kessler, 22-20, 21-19. The Gyrenes won at the fourth and fifth positions to seal the victory, with the teams of Grasso and Schein and Thomas and Costlow rolling to wins in straight sets. 

Sun Conference play continues for the Gyrenes in two weeks, when the Gyrenes travel across the state to face the two other south Florida members of the league. Ave Maria is slated to take on Florida Memorial on Friday, then faces host St. Thomas on Saturday. A sweep of the weekend would all but ensure Ave Maria's place in The Sun Conference Tournament in April.