East Texas A&M University Athletics

ODESSA – In a matchup between two top six teams in the Lone Star Conference standings, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball exited the UTPB Gym with a 3-1 win over the UT Permian Basin Falcons on Thursday night. The Lions fought off set points to win the first set, 28-26, fell 25-21 in the second set, and won the match by winning the third and fourth sets by matching scores of 25-21.
 
Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had a double double with 45 assists and 15 digs. She leads the LSC with an average of 10.36 assists per set. The Lions are 11-5 in LSC matches and remain fifth in the LSC standings. With one more match left in the regular season, the Lions cannot finish worse than fifth in the conference standings.
 
Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) also had a double double with 18 kills and 11 digs. Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) recorded 14 kills and three blocks. Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) led the team with 19 digs, while Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty) had 14 digs.
 
COACH CRAIG CASE'S POST MATCH THOUGHTS
On fighting off three set points in first set: "UTPB's crowd was really good, they had good energy, and a home crowd advantage, it took us some time to fight that off. We made some tactical changes in the last two points of the first set, and it was a really good sign that it paid off in a playoff like atmosphere."
 
On both teams exchanging long runs: "They have really good offensive players just like us and we ended up in some defensive rotations, where if we didn't do everything perfectly, we would have a hard chance winning the point. Our message was to just keep playing hard if we win or lose the point and we need to be on the positive side of it at the end."
 
On late rally by UTPB in fourth set: "I was pretty concerned, because their crowd is really good, and they were fighting to the very last point. We took the pedal of the gas a little bit, but they just flew by us. We were able to refocus during a long challenge break, but as the season gets longer, we won't have that chance against teams like UTPB or teams that we are going to face here on out."

The Lions won six of the first 10 points of the first set. Allen had three kills in the first six points. The Falcons won seven of the next eight to lead 11-7, but the Lions came right back with a 6-2 run to tie the match. Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock – Stony Point) had two kills during that stretch.
 
Both teams exchanged small runs, but could not separate themselves, until three straight kills by the Falcons gave them a 23-19 lead. The Lions answered with a 3-0 run, including a block by Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) and Maiya Dickie (Huntsville), who led the team with six blocks.
 
UTPB had a chance to win the first set on a kill by Taurie Magee at 24-22, but the Lions won the next two points to tie the set at 24 on a kill by Dickie and an assisted block by Dickie and Allen. The Falcons had two more chances to win the set at 25-23 and 26-24, but each time the Lions fought it off.
 
An assisted block by Vela and Taryn Cast (Peaster) gave the Lions their first set point and they won the set, 28-26, on a kill by Vela.
 
The Falcons led the second set, 7-4 and led 13-10, but the Lions won the next three points to tie it at 13 on a kill by Rashford and took a 17-14 lead on another kill by Rashford. UT Permian Basin tied the set at 17 and took a 22-18 lead as part of an 8-1 run and closed out the set, 25-21, on a kill by Stephanie Sanchez.
 
UT Permian Basin once again led to start the third quarter, 8-3, but the Lions led 10-8 following a 7-0 run. Four of the seven points came via errors by UTPB. The string of long runs continued as the Falcons took the lead on a 6-1 run.
 
A kill by Chandra Reed gave the Falcons a 19-16 lead, but A&M-Commerce won five of the next six points to retake the lead. The Lions closed out the third set on a 4-0 run.
 
The Lions did not trail in the fourth set. They started the set leading 6-2 on an ace by Pennington and withstood a 3-1 run as well as a 5-1 run by the Falcons. A&M-Commerce extended its lead to nine on a 6-0 run to push the set score to 21-12. UTPB cut the set to 23-18, but a kill by Rashford gave the Lions a match point at 24-18.
 
UT Permian Basin fought off three straight match points to pull to 24-21, but an attacking error ended the rally as the Lions won the fourth set, 25-21.
 
Cast had four blocks. Vela, Andersen, Rashford, and Allen had three each. Dickie had eight kills and Gonelli had seven kills.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce closes out the regular season against Western New Mexico on Saturday at 12 p.m. central standard time in Silver City, N.M.