COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team played its most complete match of the season, earning a 3-1 home victory over West Texas A&M University on Friday afternoon.
 
Set scores were 25-21, 25-17, 23-25, 15-25. The Lions are now 11-8 overall and 5-4 in the Lone Star Conference, while WT falls to 11-8 overall and 6-3 in the league.
 
Following a home win over the Lady Buffs last year, this is the first time A&M-Commerce has defeated West Texas A&M in Commerce in consecutive seasons since 1986 and 1987.
 
"I'm really happy with this win.  We played well against a really good team. Any time you can beat a talented well coached squad you have to feel good about that," said Lion head coach Craig Case. "We're going to build off of some good things tonight and try to get better at the things we struggled at and get ready for another talented and well coached team in UTPB.  This is a critical conference match tomorrow."
 
The Lions host two matches Saturday with a 1 p.m. conference match against UT Permian Basin, followed by a 5:30 p.m. non-conference bout against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- A&M-Commerce had three players with double-digit kills, led by 13 kills from Layne Little. Little also added 10 digs for a double-double.
- Taryn Driver and Jaryn Wacker had 10 kills apiece for the Lions.
- Wacker led a strong effort at the net for A&M-Commerce, as she was in on eight of the Lions' 10 blocks.
- Ashley Mireles had 24 digs, while setter Rylie Fuentes notched a double-double with 22 assists and 14 digs. Gabriela Rosa passed out 28 assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
As the teams battled in the first set, a seven-point Lion run would spark the hosts. A&M-Commerce led 13-12 before the surge. Little had three kills in the run that would put the Lions up 20-12. The Lady Buffs scored four straight to narrow the margin, but the Lions would close out the set on a kill by Neka Nelson. The Lions had 17 kills and hit .229 in the set.
 
West Texas A&M led by a point in the second set at 8-7 before the Lions rattled off five straight points on the serve of Mireles. A pair of blocks and a pair of aces flipped the lead into the Lions' hands at 12-8. A consistent effort by the Lions the rest of the set gave them a 25-17 set win on a .162 hitting percentage.
 
The third set was a tight affair for the entire frame, as neither side ever led by more than two points. The key momentum swing came on three straight points by West Texas A&M, taking a 17-16 Lion lead to a 19-17 Lady Buff lead. The set was tied at 23-all, but WTAMU scored the final two points.
 
The Lions put up a wall in the fourth set, earning four blocks on the way to their largest set win of the night to clinch the key conference win. A&M-Commerce surged out to an early lead, going up by a 10-4 margin on a Rosa ace. Not long after, a five-point A&M-Commerce run with a block by the Wacker twins, a Driver kill, a Jaslyn Wacker kill and two Jaryn Wacker kills made it an 18-9 lead. This lead was insurmountable for the guests, and Sydney Reyes was able to put a kill away at match point for the Lion victory.