COMMERCE– The No. 25 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated Midwestern State in straight sets on Saturday afternoon. The set scores were 25-22, 25-19, and 25-11.
 
The win brings the Lions to 16-4 on the season and 9-1 in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions are also 6-0 in divisional matches. The Mustangs fall to 5-14 and 3-7 in conference play.
 
The Lions return to action on Tuesday as they host Southeastern Oklahoma State. The match will be played at 6 p.m. at the Field House.
 
Tickets to Lion Volleyball home matches can be purchased by visiting WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756, or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office inside the Field House during business hours.
 
HEAD COACH CRAIG CASE AFTER THE MATCH
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) led the team with 12 kills, hitting .600 in the match.
- Bina Njikam (Keller) hit .583 in the match, recording nine kills. Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock – Stony Point) also had nine kills, hitting .429.  
- Keziah Williams (Branson, Mo.) had eight kills while Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) had six kills and led the team with five block and three aces.
- Natalie Sarbeck (Cypress – Cy-Fair) led the team with 21 assists, while Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had 18 assists and a pair of aces.
- Savannah Rutledge (The Woodlands – College Park) had 12 digs to lead the defense.
- The Lions hit .349 as a team, recording 45 kills in the match. They also had seven aces.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a back-and-forth beginning as the teams traded points early in the first set. With MSU leading 7-5, the Lions then went on a 5-0 run, including a pair of kills from Gonelli and consecutive aces for Chapron. MSU answered back with a 6-1 run of their own to regain the lead. Andersen then had three kills in five points, as the Lions took the lead back, this time for good, winning the set 25-22.
 
It again was an even start to the second set, as the teams were tied at six early. The Lions then exploded, recording seven points in a row to take command of the set. Gonelli and Njikam each had a pair of kills in the rally. MSU fought back to within four points before the Lions shut the door, winning the set 25-19.
 
The Lions took command right out of the gate in the third set, taking 10 of the first 12 points. Williams and Andersen had the hot hands early as the Lions pushed their lead to 15-3 in the set. After a small rally from the Mustangs, the Lions closed out the match, winning the final set 25-11.