STEPHENVILLE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated Tarleton, 3-2 on Tuesday night at the Wisdom Volleyball Gymnasium. The set scores were 25-20, 25-17, 25-18, 27-25, and 15-7 in favor of the Lions, who have now won their last two and three out of the last four matches in Stephenville.
 
The win brings the Lions to 7-14 on the season, while the Texans drop 10-11 overall. This was the final non-conference match of the season for the Lions.
 
S1| Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) started things off for the Lions with a service ace for the first point of the match. Neither team could pull away until a 10-2 run by the Texans put them ahead 18-12. The Lions put up eight more points before falling, 25-20.
 
S2| The Lions took the first two points of the second set. The Texans tied the set and took a brief lead before the Lions went on an 11-2 run and held the lead before securing the 25-17 set win on a kill by Yasmin Figueiredo (Rio de Janiero, Brazil).
 
S3| Millie Allgood (Sherwood, Ark.) set things off with a service ace to take the first point of the set. The Lions held the lead until a 6-1 run by the Texans tied the set, 12-12. Both teams continued to go back and forth before the Texans took the lead for the first time, 16-14. On a 4-0 run, the Texans took the set, 25-18.
 
S4| A 4-1 run put the Lions in the lead early, 4-2. The Texans answered with a 4-0 run of their own to take the lead 6-4. On a 5-0 run, Figueiredo had back-to-back blocks to tie the match 9-9 before the Lions took the lead, 12-9. Both teams went point-for-point until Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) and Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) put down kills to take the set, 27-25.
 
S5| Neither team was able to pull away until the Lions took a two-point lead, 7-5, before bagging the 15-7 set win on an 8-1 run. This was the first five-set win for the Lions this season, who had dropped their last four fifth sets.


POST MATCH INTERVIEW

Vela recorded a double-double with 38 assists and 13 digs, also serving up two aces. Figueiredo led the way with 14 kills and a .258 hitting percentage. Rashford followed with 13 kills, a .306 hitting percentage, and recorded six digs. Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) posted 21 digs followed by Allgood with 11 digs and three service aces. Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty) bagged five of the 12 service aces in the match and recorded eight digs. The 12 aces for the Lions tie their season high.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce is back home to host two matches, against Southeastern Louisiana at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Northwestern State on Saturday at 1 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear pink on Saturday, for the annual Dig Pink Match. Arrive early to receive free pink rally towels, until supplies last.