COMMERCE – Celeste Vela recorded 51 assists in a three-set win for the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday at the Field House. Vela's 51 assists are most for any setter in all three divisions of the NCAA in a three-set match this season and most in a Lone Star Conference match since 2017.
 
A&M Commerce swept Texas A&M-Kingsville by set scores of 25-18, 25-12, and 25-17.
 
The Lions have won seven Lone Star Conference matches in a row, improving their record to 7-3 and post a winning overall record for the first time this fall at 8-7. The Javelinas drop to 11-4 overall, all four of their losses have come in conference play. They have an LSC record of 5-4.
 
Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) and Maddy Rashford (Placienta, Calif.) had 14 kills each. Allen had 10 digs as well for her second double double in as many nights. Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had 51 assists, while Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) and Riley Davidson (Commerce) had 14 and 11 digs, respectively.
 
Vela's previous career high was 44 in a three-set match.
 
Seventeen of the 25 points in the first set, came via kills for the Lions, who had a hitting percentage of .333 in the set. A kill by Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) gave A&M-Commerce set points in the first set, which they won on an ace by Davidson.
 
The Lions cruised to a 25-12 win in the second set. They had a hitting percentage of .467 in the set, Allen had six kills in the set, and Vela had 16 assists. A&M-Commerce took the set on a kill by Maiya Dickie (Huntsville), who had nine kills in the match as did Taryn Cast (Peaster).
 
A&M-Commerce took the third set by a score of 25-17. Vela had 18 assists in the set. Rashford had five kills. An ace by Allen gave the Lions a chance to win the match at 24-16 and they won it on a service error.
 
Andersen had seven kills. Allen had four aces, Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty) had three.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions are on the road against two teams that are in the top-three in LSC standings. A&M-Commerce is at Angelo State on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Lubbock Christian on Saturday, October 23 at 2 p.m.



POSTGAME INTERVIEW