Midwestern State 3, A&M-Commerce 1
Location: D.L. Ligon Coliseum * Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (1-1, 0-1 LSC); Midwestern State (5-1, 2-0 LSC)
Up Next: vs. Colorado State-Pueblo * Dallas, Texas * Friday, Sept. 9 * 3:30 p.m.
WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Texas A&M University-Commerce dropped its Lone Star Conference opener, falling 18-25, 9-25, 28-26, 18-25 to Midwestern State at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
"It was a bit of an eye opener for us, playing our first match away from the friendly confines of the Field House," said head coach Craig Case. "We were disappointed with how we competed in the first two sets, but we found a way in set three to fight and get into a rhythym. Midwestern State played very steady and tactical volleyball, and I think this will be a good learning experience for this team."
Kayla Bond paced the Lions up front, finishing with 13 kills, seven digs and six blocks with Breanne Snyder continuing to be impressive in her first collegiate matches, posting seven kills, five digs and four blocks for A&M-Commerce. Ciara Holmes chipped in with five kills of her own.
Defensively, A&M-Commerce dominated on the block, recording 11 to the Mustangs' 5. Melanie Williams, who earned her first start as a Lion, and Chelsea Simonton each added four blocks to go along with the combined 10 from Bond and Snyder. Jordan Neal dished out 34 assists while Dakota Crockett notched a career-best 25 digs.
Making its first road trip of the season, A&M-Commerce fell behind early in set one, trailing 11-4, and was never able to recover. The Lions were able to claw to within six a handful of times, the last of which came at 24-18, but were unable to overcome the early deficit.
Set two would prove to be an even bigger obstacle for A&M-Commerce, as with the Lions trailing 10-7 early in the set, Midwestern State would settle into a groove A&M-Commerce could never derail. The Mustangs closed out the set on a 15-2 run, cruising to the 25-9 victory and taking a commanding 2-0 lead into intermission.
With the match on the line, the Lions came out energized in set three, matching Midwestern State for the duration of the set. Trailing 22-19 late, A&M-Commerce would rally to tie the set at 24, then fought off three set points before notching the set's final three points capped by the set-clinching block by Simonton and Bond, to remain alive in the match.
But the momentum gained in set three wasn't enough to spark the comeback and Midwestern State settled in once again in set four, using a 10-4 run down the stretch to pull away and improve to 2-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
The Lions played the match without All-LSC middle blocker Rachel Robertson, who rolled an ankle in practice. Robertson is expected to be out 1-2 weeks.
There will be little rest for the weary as the Lions will be back on the court in less than 24 hours, making the short drive down to Dallas to face Colorado State-Pueblo Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. as part of the Dallas Baptist Patriot Tournament. The Lions then head north to Lawton, Okla., for a Saturday afternoon match against Cameron.
