NACOGDOCHES – The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team split the first day of the Hampton Classic, falling 3-0 to the host, Stephen F. Austin in the morning, but closed out Friday at the Shelton Gym with a 3-1 win over Arkansas State.
 
The Lions fell 25-14, 25-20, and 25-10 to the Ladyjacks in the first match of the day, but snapped a two-match losing streak with a 25-21, 25-19, 22-25, and 25-23 win over the Red Wolves to improve to 3-8 on the season with one more match left before the start of Southland Conference play.
 

COACH CRAIG AFTER THE MATCH
 
MATCH 1: STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 3, A&M-COMMERCE 0
The Ladyjacks started the match leading 3-0, but fell behind 5-3 on two attacking errors, two kills, as well as an ace by Taryn Cast (Peaster). The Lady Jacks went on a 5-1 run and did not trail for the rest of the set, winning 25-14.
 
SFA lead 7-2 in the second set and did not trail in the second set as well. Trailing 24-17, A&M-Commerce fought off three set points on a kill by Reese Fetty (Farmersville), an ace by Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.), and an assisted block by Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) and Yasmin Figueiredo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The Ladyjacks took the set on a kill, 25-20.
 
The third set began with the first eight points taken by the Ladyjacks and they lead 15-1 in the set. Down 17-3, the Lions put together a 7-1 run, but did not win another point for the rest of the match.
 
Fetty was the leader in kills with seven and in digs as well with 11, Vela posted 16 assists and four blocks, Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) recorded 10 digs.
 
MATCH 2: A&M-COMMERCE 3, ARKANSAS STATE 1
The Lions won the first four and five of the first six points in the first set. Arkansas State tied the set at 10-10 with a 3-0 run and took a 12-11 lead. Both teams exchanged long runs, but a 6-1 run gave the Lions a 22-19 lead. A kill from Vela gave the Lions their first chance to close out the set and they did on an attacking error.
 
Both sides stayed within a point of each other through the first 36 points of the second set, with neither side being able to pull away. The Lions finally did by going on a 7-1 run to win the second set. In the scoring run, Rashford had two blocks and a kill. The Lions took a 2-0 lead in the match on an ace by Millie Allgood (Sherwood, Ark.).
 
The Lions led by four to start the third set, but the Red Wolves stayed within reach with both teams exchanging scoring runs. The teams were tied at 19, before a 3-0 run by the Red Wolves, followed by a 3-0 run by the Lions. Arkansas State won the last three to win the set, 25-22.
 
A&M-Commerce led 5-1 in the first and extended it to 11-7. The Red Wolves tied the set at 11, but the Lions won the next three and six of the next eight for a four-point lead. Arkansas State fought back to tie the set at 22, the Lions won the next two points on a kill by Cast and an assisted block by Rashford and Cast.
 
The Red Wolves fought off the first match point, but the Lions secured their third win of the season on a kill by Rashford.
 
Cast recorded 10 kills, five blocks, and two digs, while Rashford and Fetty had eight kills each. Rashford posted four blocks and four digs. Figueiredo totaled nine kills, five blocks, and three digs. Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) had seven kills, a block, and a dig.
 
The Lions hit .226 in the match with seven aces. Both Vela and Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty) had two aces each.
 
UP NEXT
A&M-Commerce closes out the Hampton Inn Classic on Saturday morning against Eastern Washington. The Lions begin Southland Conference play next weekend.