TUCSON, Ariz.- Arizona Beach Volleyball opened the season with a dominant 4-1 victory over Saint Mary's before falling to Grand Canyon, 5-0, in their second match of the day at the GCU Invitational.

The Wildcats came out strong against Saint Mary's, with Adri Nieves Papaleo and Kate Phillips setting the tone early, sweeping their match in commanding fashion 21-14, 21-9.

Annie Kost and Brooke Boyko continued the momentum, securing another point for Arizona with a straight-set 21-18, 21-14 win. 

Nya Crump and Madeline Walker battled through a competitive match, taking the first set comfortably at 21-14 before closing out a 21-15 victory.

Freshman duo Sadie Moore and Elin Kaiser made their mark in their first collegiate match, showing resilience after dropping the first set 16-21. They bounced back with a hard-fought 23-21 second set and clinched the win in the third 15-12.

The only loss against Saint Mary's came from a tight three-set match, as Kylee Fitzsimmons and Brooke Blutreich fought hard but ultimately fell 15-21, 21-18, 10-15.

However, Arizona struggled in their second match of the day against host Grand Canyon, dropping all five courts to the Lopes.

Despite a strong start, Annie Kost and Brooke Boyko couldn't hold off GCU's Karynn Garrow and Sophia Hladyniuk, falling in a tight battle 20-22, 18-21.

Nieves Papaleo and Phillips put up a fight in the second match, winning the first set 21-19, but Grand Canyon responded and took the next two sets 21-10, 15-11.

Ashlyn Zilliken and Madeline Walker came close to forcing a third set, but the duo was edged out in consecutive sets 17-21, 20-22.

On court one, Fitzsimmons and Blutreich faced a tough matchup and fell 17-21, 14-21.

The final match of the evening saw Moore and Kaiser unable to recover from a slow start, falling 14-21, 10-21.

Arizona (1-1) will look to regroup as they continue play Benedictine University Mesa and Ottawa University Arizona at the GCU Invitational tomorrow.

Arizona – 4, Saint Mary's – 1

Court 1: Adri Nieves Papaleo and Kate Phillips (ARIZ) def. Sedona Sherman and Chloe Swanson (SMC), 21-14, 21-9

Court 2: Annie Kost and Brooke Boyko (ARIZ) def. Renne Nachtigall and Genevieve Bane (SMC), 21-18, 21-14

Court 3: Allie Cataldo and Hannah Couch (SMC) def. Kylee Fitzsimmons and Brooke Blutreich (ARIZ), 21-15, 18-21, 15-10

Court 4: Nya Crump and Madeline Walker (ARIZ) def. Angelina Bour and Ashlyn Zilliken (SMC), 21-14, 21-15

Court 5: Sadie Moore and Elin Kaiser (ARIZ) def. Delaney Nicholls and Grace Travis (SMC), 16-21, 23-21, 15-12

Arizona – 0, Grand Canyon – 5

Court 1: Karynn Garrow and Sophia Hladyniuk (GCU) def. Annie Kost and Brooke Boyko (ARIZ), 22-20, 21-18

Court 2: Adrianna Ferro and Ines Piret (GCU) def. Adri Nieves Papaleo and Kate Phillips (ARIZ), 19-21, 21-10, 15-11

Court 3: Madi Bogle and Regan Holmer (GCU) def. Sadie Moore and Elin Kaiser (ARIZ), 21-14, 21-10

Court 4: Katie Keefe and Rhea Kohl (GCU) def. Kylee Fitzsimmons and Brooke Blutreich (ARIZ), 21-17, 21-14

Court 5: Becca Drake and Jessica Drake (GCU) def. Ashlyn Zilliken and Madeline Walker (ARIZ), 21-17, 22-20