Tetiana Sukach jokes that they’re like a married couple.

When two people spend as much time together as Sukach and her partner-in-crime Zuzana Markova, the comparison is inevitable.

“Of course we have misunderstandings but I really like that she’s my partner,” Sukach said. “We have the same goals.”

Together, they form the duo known as “T & Z” around ULM’s sand volleyball courts. And they’ve been making quite the name for themselves in just their second season playing together.

In August, Sukach and Markova captured the National Collegiate Sand Volleyball Association (NCSVA) National Tournament championship, defeating teams from all over the country.

Almost midway through ULM’s inaugural sand volleyball season, the pair stands at 7-0 in match play.

Sukach and Markova first crossed paths in Europe in 2007 with no clue what the future had in store for them.

The two met at the Under-19 Volleyball championships in Poland, where Sukach represented the Ukraine and Markova the Czech Republic. A few years and several thousand miles later, “T & Z” was born.

They may call different countries home, but it’s a shared competitive fire that makes “T & Z” such a formidable tandem.

“We both hate losing. It’s our drive that makes us work so well together,” Markova said.

That drive has also made the head coach’s job easier. Head coach David Fischer views Sukach and Markova more as colleagues than players and he can count on them to bring their best effort every day.

“Their intensity is contagious…in case you can’t tell, I’m really happy they’re on our side of the net,” Fischer said.

With eight matches—including two tournaments—left on the schedule, Sukach and Markova are gearing up for the AVCA National Tournament in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Winning is always the goal with these two. But that hasn’t stopped them from relishing the chance to be a part of history as members of ULM’s first sand volleyball team. Something neither one of them will take for granted.

“I’ve played sand [volleyball] all my life,” Sukach said. “I came here for the indoor team but I love sand volleyball. This is like my dream come true to have this program.”