A&M-Commerce 3, Midwestern State 1
Location: D.L. Ligon Coliseum · Wichita Falls, Texas
Records: A&M-Commerce (12-3, 4-2 LSC); Midwestern State (3-11, 1-5 LSC)
Up Next: at Cameron · Saturday, September 29 · 2 p.m. · Lawton, Okla.
WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Behind a solid offensive effort which saw three Lions post double-digit kill totals, A&M-Commerce rebounded from a shaky opening set to hand Midwestern State a 16-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-16 defeat at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Lions notched their third-straight victory, improving to 12-3 on the year and 4-2 in Lone Star Conference play.
Rachel Robertson once again paced the A&M-Commerce offensive attack, notching 14 kills while hitting .265 with three blocks, complemented by 11 kills and four digs from Breanne Snyder. Morgan Moeller posted the second double-double of her career, finishing with 10 kills and 11 digs while hitting .276 on the evening for the Lions.
Jordan Neal finished with 40 assists and seven digs on the night while Michaela Spicer recorded a match-high 23 digs defensively for A&M-Commerce. Ciara Holmes matched Robertson with three blocks up front with three kills while Neal and Kayla Bond each had a pair of blocks as well.
Embarking on a crucial four-match Lone Star Conference road swing, A&M-Commerce struggled in the opening set against Midwestern State as the Mustangs took an early lead and never looked back. Leading 11-8, Midwestern State lumped together a 6-1 run to break the set open and would lead by as many as 10 at 23-13 before taking the opener 25-16.
A&M-Commerce responded in set two as the Lions and Mustangs battled for the duration of the stanza, combining for 12 ties and seven lead changes. Neither team was able to build a lead of more than one point down the stretch as Midwestern State pulled ahead 24-23 with a chance to put the Lions in a deep 2-0 hole. But a kill from Moeller, a Mustang attack error and a kill from Robertson completed the comeback, giving A&M-Commerce a crucial 26-24 victory.
Midwestern State took the lead early into the third set, only to see the Lions string together an extended run of their own to take a 15-12 lead at the midway point. A&M-Commerce was then able to keep the Mustangs at bay as Midwestern State was never able to get over the hump, capping the set with a block from Neal and Robertson to take the third 25-22.
With the match in the balance, A&M-Commerce came out firing on all cylinders in the fourth. The Lions compiled a 9-0 and a 7-0 run early in the set, blazing out to a commanding 19-4 lead. Midwestern State attempted one final comeback, but the deficit was too great as the Lions breezed to the 25-16 victory in set four, completing the comeback.
With 12 victories on the year, A&M-Commerce has already exceeded the 11 victories it compiled during the 2011 season as the Lions remain perfect on the road, sitting 4-0 in true road contests in 2012. The Lions improved to 17-13 all-time against Midwestern State, notching their second-straight victory over the Mustangs in the process.
Midwestern State held the final advantage in kills (53), assists (52) and service aces (6) on the night but A&M-Commerce posted fewer errors (18 to 28), a higher hitting percentage (.201 to .166) and one more block (six to five), earning the hard-fought victory in what proved to be an evenly-matched contest.
A&M-Commerce looks to continue its winning ways, making the short trip north to Lawton, Okla. for a Saturday afternoon with Cameron. Opening serve against the Aggies is set for 2 p.m. with live stats and video of the match available at LionAthletics.com.
