A&M-Commerce 3, Alabama-Huntsville 0
Location: Duke Wells Center • Arkadelphia, Ark.
Records: A&M-Commerce (1-0); Alabama-Huntsville (0-1)
A&M-Commerce 3, West Alabama 0
Location: Duke Wells Center • Arkadelphia, Ark.
Records: A&M-Commerce (2-0); West Alabama (0-1)
Up Next: vs. Lemoyne-Owen (12 p.m.); at Henderson State (2 p.m.) • Saturday, Sept. 1
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – A&M-Commerce was eyeing a fast start to the 2012 season and couldn't have asked for a better opening day, playing just six sets to notch a sweep of both Alabama-Huntsville and West Alabama at the 2012 Henderson State Tournament at the Duke Wells Center in Arkadelphia.
"It was a good day of volleyball for us," said head coach Craig Case. "We played two tough teams and I thought our players were very ready to hit the court. We played really well in the opening match, then upped that in the second match of the day, so I'm pleased with the effort and the result."
The scheduling of the tournament didn't do A&M-Commerce any favors as the Lions had to play back-to-back matches, taking to the court at noon against the Chargers and quickly establishing itself, taking the opener 25-14. The Lions then outlasted UAH for a 25-21 victory in set two and survived to complete the sweep, earning their first-ever victory over the Chargers with a 26-24 third-set decision.
Statistics for the match against Alabama-Huntsville are currently unavailable. Check back for complete statistics when they become available.
After making quick work of the Chargers, A&M-Commerce returned to the court at 2 p.m., facing a tough West Alabama squad that won 22 matches in 2011. The lack of rest seemed not to bother the Lions as A&M-Commerce used a late surge to take the opener 25-20. Case's squad then dominated the second set, roaring to a 25-14 victory, before earning a hard-fought victory with a 25-21 win in set three as the teams combined for 11 ties and four lead changes.
The Lions were efficient all afternoon against the Tigers, hitting .404 for the match with 48 kills and just 10 errors on 94 attempts. Sophomore Breanne Snyder notched 15 kills and a .481 hitting percentage against West Alabama while senior Rachel Robertson added 13 kills with just one error, hitting .667 against the Tigers with a pair of aces.
Junior Ciara Holmes recorded eight kills with no errors on 16 attempts, hitting .500 for the match with a pair of blocks, complemented by seven kills and four blocks from junior Kayla Bond. Junior Jordan Neal had 42 assists in just three sets while transfer Michaela Spicer led the way with 11 digs for the Lions.
Saturday's schedule at the Henderson State Invitational should be another challenge for the Lions as A&M-Commerce returns to the court at noon facing LeMoyne-Owen. It will be another short rest as the Lions will then have to turn around and face host Henderson State at 2 p.m. Live stats against the Lady Reddies are available at LionAthletics.com with full results being posted as they become available.
