ADA, Okla. – Down a set, East Central fought back to beat the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team, 3-1 at Kerr Activities Center on Tuesday evening. The Lions won the first set by a score of 26-24, but lost the next three by scores of 25-20, 26-24, and 25-21, respectively.
 
Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) recorded 21 digs for A&M-Commerce, who falls to 4-7 on the season. East Central improved to 8-9 on the year.
 
Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) recorded a double-double with 17 digs and 10 kills. Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) also had a double-double with 36 assists and 16 digs.
 
The Lions trailed 4-6 early in the first set, but they quickly bounced back to win seven of the next eight points. Vela and Maiaya Dickie (Huntsville) teamed up to block two-straight points to give the Lions the lead.
 
East Central charged back to tie the set at 24, winning four out of five. A&M-Commerce got another set point on a kill by Allen and closed it out, 26-24 on a kill by Nicki Gonelli (Rowlett – Sachse).
 
Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) had five kills in the first set, Allen had four. Vela recorded 12 assists. Allen picked up five digs and Hebert had four. Allen also had two aces.
 
The Tigers won four of the first five points of the second set. The Lions tied it back at 17, but the Tigers went on to win the set, 25-17.
 
A&M-Commerce led the third set 22-20 on a kill by Dickie and opened up a 24-21 lead on a kill by Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.). East Central won the next five points to win the set, 26-24.
 
East Central led the fourth set, 13-9, but a kill by Allen brought A&M-Commerce to 13-12. The Tigers build some cushion with a 4-1 run and were two points away from closing it out at 23-17. The Lions won four of the next five, three of them being recorded as blocks by A&M-Commerce, but East Central returned the favor with a block of its own to win the set, 25-21.
 
Rashford finished the match with 13 kills, Andersen picked up eight. Allen also served up three aces and Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty) served up two.
 
Vela totaled six blocks, Dickie totaled five and Taryn Cast (Peaster) had two blocks. Riley Davidson (Commerce) had 10 digs.
 
The Lions hit .116 in the match, while the Tigers hit .143.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce gets back to Lone Star Conference play this weekend at Midwestern State on Friday at 6 p.m. and at Cameron on Saturday at 2 p.m.