COMMERCE – In a match that lasted less than an hour and 20 minutes, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball was on cruise-control in a 3-0 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State in a midweek non-conference match on Tuesday night at the Field House.
 
The Lions took a tight first set, 25-23, and coasted to 25-16 and 25-12 wins in the next two sets, respectively.
 
Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock - Stony Point) had 18 kills without an error, which are the second-most kills in a NCAA Division II match this year and tied for most kills in a three-set match by a Lone Star Conference player this year.
 
The Lions improve to 10-8 on the year overall and drop the Savage Storm to a record of 7-14.
 
The Savage Storm started the match with the early edge in the first set, leading 17-12. A&M-Commerce started its comeback by pulling to within two at 21-19 on a kill by Gonelli.
 
Southeastern Oklahoma State lead 23-21 when Lions coach Craig Case used a timeout. The Lions won four straight points out of the timeout to win the set. Three of the four points for the Lions came via errors from the Savage Storm.
 
Trailing 6-5 early in the set, the Lions went on a 7-1 run to take control of the second set. Gonelli had four kills during that stretch. The Lions won the set, 25-16 on an attacking error. A&M-Commerce hit .548 in the second set.
 
The Lions started the third set leading 5-1 on an ace by Aislynn Shore (Hockley – Frassati Catholic) and increased to 17-6 on assisted block by Taryn Cast (Peaster) and Gonelli.
 
A&M-Commerce won its 10th match of the season on a 3-0 run, winning the set on a kill by Reese Fetty (Farmersville).
 
Gonelli hit .621 in the match, Cast hit .417 for 11 kills, and the Lions hit .369 as a team.
 
Aiding her hitters, Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had 32 assists and nine digs as well. Lyric Hebert, who was named Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, had 14 digs on the night.
 
The Lions had 16 assisted blocks in the match, Cast had six of them. Essence Allen (Longview - Tatum), Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.), Karena Tipton (Midlothian – Heritage), and Fetty had two each.


 
POSTMATCH INTERVIEW

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The Lions host two matches this weekend, including the annual Pink Out match on Friday at 6 p.m. against DBU, all fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness. A&M-Commerce hosts Texas Woman's on Saturday at 1 p.m.