MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University beach volleyball hit the 10-win mark for the fourth time in the last five seasons on Saturday, finishing a 9-1 conference season with victories over St. Thomas and Florida Memorial in Miami Gardens. The Gyrenes started the day with a 3-2 victory over the Bobcats, then swept the host Lions by a 5-0 score. By finishing 9-1 in conference play, the Gyrenes move their all-time conference record to 48-11.

The Gyrenes' lower flights came through in the first victory of the day, a 3-2 triumph over Florida Memorial. Each of the Gyrenes' lower three teams won in straight sets. The first of these victories was provided by the fourth flight duo of Beatriz Rissi and Maria Teixeira, who won by a 21-14, 21-14 score. The Bobcats won the match at the second flight, evening the score at one with three matches to play. 

Needing two wins in the final three matches, the Gyrenes turned to their third and fifth flight teams. The Gyrenes got their second point from the fifth flight pair of Maylis DeTar and Abbey Grose, who cruised to a 21-10, 21-16. The clinching point came from Greta Heiney and Elle Malczewski, who outlasted their St. Thomas opposition for a 21-15, 21-18 win, sealing a 3-2 win for the Gyrenes.

The victory over Florida Memorial came easier for the Gyrenes, who rolled to a 5-0 victory. Ave Maria jumped out to a 2-0 lead with wins at the second and fourth flights. Mara Delyon and Adriana Bravo were victorious at the second flight, winning 21-11, 21-12, while Rissi and Teixeira won their second match of the day with a dominant 21-7, 21-10 victory. The win clinched an undefeated conference season for the duo at 10-0.

Ave Maria then swept their final three matches to close out a 5-0 victory. Ryan Getz and Ines Lopez rolled to a 21-9, 21-14 win at the first flight, with Malczewski and Heiney earning a second win of the day by a 21-7, 21-17 score at the third flight. Grose and DeTar finished 8-1 in conference play with their victory at the fifth flight, surrendering just 18 total points in a 21-3, 21-15 win.

The Ave Maria Gyrenes will be the number two seed in the upcoming Sun Conference Tournament, putting the Gyrenes in prime position to earn one of the conference's automatic bids into the NAIA Women's Beach Volleyball National Invitational. The Sun Conference Tournament will be held on the campus of the New College of Florida, with action scheduled to begin April 10. Full information on the conference tournament will be available on TheSunConference.com