DENVER, Colo. – In the first two matches of the 2021 fall season, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team fell to two nationally ranked teams on the first day of the Colorado Premier at the Auraria Event Center on Friday.
No. 10 Central Missouri defeated A&M-Commerce by a score of 3-1 and No. 20 MSU-Denver downed A&M-Commerce, 3-0. The set score in the match against the Jennies was 25-20, 22-25, 25-14, and 25-21 in favor of Central Missouri. MSU-Denver won in straight sets, 25-21, 25-22, and 25-15.
MATCH ONE: No. 10 Central Missouri 3, A&M-Commerce 1
The Jennies took the first set by a score of 25-20, jumping out to a 15-6 lead in the middle of the set on a block by Hannah Engelken. A&M-Commerce won four out of five points to pull to within 24-20 but lost the set on a kill by Ally Offerdahl.
The second set was tied at 10 when the Lions went on a 5-0 lead to build some cushion, the Jennies used a timeout in that stretch as well. Off the timeout, Central Missouri pulled to within two, but a kill and two-straight aces by
Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) pushed the lead back to five.
The Jennies forced the Lions to use a timeout when they cut the deficit to 22-21, but a kill by Vela followed by a kill by
Bella Schmukal (Rockwall – Heritage Christian) gave A&M-Commerce three set points. The Lions won the second set 25-22 on a kill by Vela. In the match, Vela had 12 kills. She led the team with 27 assists and fell three digs shy of a triple-double.
Both teams went back-and-forth to start the third set. Central Missouri pulled away from A&M-Commerce by going on an 8-1 run with the match tied at eight. The Jennies closed out the third set, 25-14. The Lions did win three of the five points prior to set point.
Like the second and third set, the fourth was knotted up at eight. The Lions built a 15-12 lead by winning four of five points and forcing the Jennies to use a timeout after a kill from
Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum). The Jennies used the timeout to their advantage by going on a 4-0 run and forcing the Lions to use one of their timeouts.
The Jennies took command of the fourth set with the match tied at 18, by winning the next four points and had four opportunities to close out the match, leading 24-20. They won the fourth set, 25-21, thus winning the match, 3-1.
Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock – Stony Point) led the team with 13 kills, she also had three digs.
Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) had team-high 16 kills. Dickie had two solo blocks and three assisted.
Fifteen Lions saw action in the first match, including true freshman
Reese Fetty (Farmersville), who made her collegiate debut.
MATCH TWO: No. 20 MSU-Denver 3, A&M-Commerce 0
Playing on their home court, MSU-Denver stormed to a 12-7 lead in the first set. An ace by Fetty cut the Roadrunners' lead to 21-20, but they won four of the next five to win the set, 25-21. The Lions had an attacking percentage of just .143 in the set.
The Lions jumped out to the early lead in the second, they led by as much as seven points. Trailing 18-11, Roadrunners started their comeback effort slowly but steadily. The Lions led 22-20, but the Roadrunners won the next four points to win the set 25-22. A&M-Commerce surrendered 15 of the last 22 points of the set.
The third set was close to start with both teams being tied at eight, but the Roadrunners ran away with the set by going on a 10-2 run from that point. MSU-Denver clinched the match on a kill by Ember Canty to give the Roadrunners a 25-15 win in the third set.
Gonelli led the team again with seven kills.
Sydney Andersen (Placienda, Calif.) and Dickie had six kills each. Veleste had 30 assists and Hebert had 10 digs. Vela had eight digs and
Riley Davidson (Commerce) had six digs.
MSU-Denver outhit A&M-Commerce, .413 to .219 in the match.
UP NEXT
After the first day of action at the Colorado Premier, teams will be reseeded based on the records on day one at both MSU-Denver and Regis. The Lions play two matches on Saturday. The opponent, time, and location will be announced later in the day on Friday.
