RICHMOND, Ky. --- The Tusculum University women's beach volleyball team fell in a pair of matches against Division I opponents on Tuesday (Apr. 8).

Tusculum (8-12) heads into the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Championship as the No. 2 seed in the tournament (Apr. 11-12). The Pioneers will open with No. 6 Wingate and No. 3 seed Emmanuel on the first day.

Match 1: Eastern Kentucky 5, Tusculum 0
The Colonels swept the Pioneers to start the day's tri-match.

Mia Johnson and Kassidy Mercado dropped the second flight 21-11, 21-6, followed by Kyla Oppenhuis and Landry Tea at No. 4 by scores of 21-17, 21-10.

The first and fifth flights followed in quick succession. Hannah Marsh and Brynn Smith fell 21-13, 21-12, ahead of Nyah Goss and Katie Murphy's 21-16, 21-14 setback.

Morgan Willis and Ryann Gallagher put up a fight at the third flight, losing by identical 21-19, 21-19 scores.

Match 2: Morehead State 3, Tusculum 2
The second meeting between the Eagles and Pioneers came down to the final flight.

MSU took the early lead, winning the No. 2 flight over Johnson and Mercado by scores of 21-15, 21-16.

TU responded with a three-set victory at No. 4. Oppenhuis and Tea survived in a 21-18, 19-21, 15-12 battle.

Goss and Murphy were close to pushing the No. 5 flight to a decisive third set, but fell 21-15, 21-19 as MSU retook the lead.

Marsh and Smith handled the top pairing by identical 21-15, 21-15 scores to put the match in a 2-2 deadlock.

In the match-clinching flight, Willis and Gallagher attempted to rally after a 21-13 set one loss but came up short 21-14 in the second frame.