AUSTIN – Despite fighting off seven match points in a row, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team fell, 27-25 in the fourth set to the St. Edward's Hilltoppers, who won Friday night's match at the Recreation and Convocation Center by a score of 3-1.
 
The Lions took the first set by a score of 29-27. St. Edward's won the next three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-19, and 27-25, respectively. A&M-Commerce falls to 1-6 on the season with the loss and 0-3 in Lone Star Conference play, while St. Edward's is now 7-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
 
Maddy Rashford (Placienta, Calif.) had 17 kills, Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had 38 assists, and Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Calif.) had 26 digs for the Lions. Karena Tipton (Midlothian – Heritage) had seven blocks in her first action of the year.
 
The Lions were down 24-19 in the first set, but three-straight kills by Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum), an ace by Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty), and an assisted block by Allen and Maiya Dickie (Huntsville) tied the set at 24. Both teams exchanged the next six points before an attacking error gave A&M-Commerce a chance to win the set, and it did on an ace by Vela, 29-27.
 
St. Edward's had a 14-8 lead in the second set, A&M-Commerce got to within one at 18-17, but the Hilltoppers took the set, 25-22 on a kill by Halle Sanders.
 
The Hilltoppers fought back from an early deficit in the third set, but won the set by a score of 25-19. The two teams were tied at nine, but the Lions did not take the lead from that point from the set.
 
The fourth set was similar to the previous two sets, where it started balanced between the two squads, but the Hilltoppers took command in the middle of the set. They opened up a 24-17 lead and had seven chances to close out the Lions.
 
An attacking error by St. Edward's made is 24-18, a kill by Allen, and two-straight kills by Dickie made it 24-21. Hebert served up an ace to make it 24-22.
 
A&M-Commerce got within one on a kill by Sydney Andersen (Placienta, Calif.) and tied the set on another ace by Hebert.
 
The Lions had a chance to win the set at 25-24 thanks to an attacking error, but after an attacking error by the Lions tied the set, St. Edward's won the next two points to win the match.
 
St. Edward's had the .208 to .150 edge in hitting percentage and 21-27 advantage in terms of fewest errors made.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce travels to San Antonio to take on St. Mary's at 2 p.m. on Saturday.