KINGSVILLE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team lost in four sets to Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Saturday. The Lions won the second set in extra points but could not slow down the Javelinas in the other three sets. The set scores were 22-25, 26-24, 14-25 and 16-25.
 
The loss brings the Lions to 6-7 on the season and 2-2 in the Lone Star Conference. The Javelinas improve to 10-5 and 3-1 in conference play.
 
The Lions will return to the court Friday in a road match against Cameron. The match will be played at 5:30 p.m. at Aggie Gym in Lawton, Okla.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Jaryn Wacker led the Lions with 12 kills. Layne Little added 10 kills, six digs and three aces.
- Jaslyn Wacker and Mariyah Oliver each had eight kills. Wacker also had four blocks.
- Shelley Chapron had four kills and three blocks. Sydney Reyes had three kills and three blocks.
- Savannah Rutledge led the Lions with 19 digs and also had four assists. Gabriela Rosa led the team with 22 assists while Rylie Fuentes had 17.
- A&M-Kingsville had 16 aces in the match.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After the teams split the first four points of the match, the Javelinas rattled off six consecutive points to take an early 8-2 lead in the first set. The Javelinas built their lead to as many as eight before the Lions cut into their lead. They scored five of the next six points to cut the lead to just 12-8 midway through the set.
 
The Javelinas responded to the A&M-Commerce run and scored five points in a row to build their lead to nine points. The Lions did not give up. They scored four points in a row to cut A&M-Kingsville's lead in half. The teams traded rallies before the Lions again cut into the Javelina lead. A&M-Commerce scored five points in a row, including consecutive blocks Chapron and Reyes, cutting the lead to just two points. However, the Lions could not finish the rally and fell 25-22.
 
The Lions started the second set off well. Four different players had kills, including two from Oliver as A&M-Commerce took a quick 5-1 lead in the set. A&M-Kingsville answered back with a run of their own to tie the set at seven. The teams traded the next 10 points and the set was tied at 12 at the halfway mark.
 
Both teams continued to battle as the teams continued to trade points in the later stages of the set. Neither team held a lead of more than one point until the Lions took a 22-19 lead late in the set. The Lions had a balanced attack with multiple players scoring point in the set. However, the Javelinas would not go down quietly, tying the set up at 24. The Lions finished the set with kills from Jaryn Wacker and Little and won 26-24.
 
After the Lions took the first two points of the third set, the Javelinas took 12 of the next 14 points to take a commanding 12-4 lead. The Lions could not find their footing in the set and trailed by as many as 11 in the set. The Lions began to get their offense going late in the set but could not slow down the Javelina attack and fell 25-14.
 
It was a back-and-forth start to the fourth set. Kingsville took the first two points before the Lions took four of the next five. Jaslyn Wacker had three early kills for the Lions. After that, the Javelinas began to rally, taking five points in a row to take a four-point lead. A&M-Kingsville led 13-10 halfway through the set.
 
The Lions cut the Javelina lead to just two points before A&M-Kingsville again rallied to take a eight-point lead. The Lions cut the lead back down to six but the Javelinas took five of the final seven points to win the set and the match.