SAN ANTONIO – The 2023 season began for the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team on Friday at the UTSA Invitational. A&M-Commerce collected a 3-0 win over Texas Southern and fell in three sets to Missouri State at the Convocation Center.
 
The win over Texas Southern gives first year coach Joe Morales his first win as the Lions coach.
 
"Each day we are getting better," said Morales. "We played well in the first match but it got away from us with a lot of errors to a good and well coached team, Missouri State.
 
"Coming into the second match, against an athletic team, Texas Southern, we played a little loose and relaxed, which showed a significant improvement in our hitting efficiency. Overall, I was happy to see our team bounce back and show improvement. Onward and upward!"
 
He added, "I want to thank UTSA and Coach Carol Price-Torok for presenting us with a game ball for our first win."
 
MATCH TWO: A&M-COMMERCE 3, TEXAS SOUTHERN 0
The Lions took the first two points of the first set in the second match of the day and had a 5-2 early lead. A&M-Commerce never trailed in the first set and took a 25-18 set win in the first on a kill by Breann Connally (Coolidge – Groesbeck).
 
A&M-Commerce hit .474 percent in the first set, while the Tigers hit .206. In the match, the Lions hit .321, which is the third highest for the Lions in the NCAA Division I era.
 
Texas Southern had the 5-2 edge to start the second set, but the Lions tied the set at six, and went on a 4-1 run to lead 11-8. A 3-0 run helped the Tigers take a 16-15 lead, but A&M-Commerce lost just one more point in the set, closing it out on an 8-0 run with the set tied at 17.
 
Peyton Plant (Littleton, Colo.) served up aces in two of the final three points of the second set.
 
The Lions were looking for their first straight set win since October 29, 2022, but fell behind 7-2 in the third set. A 4-0 run allowed the Lions back into the set and a 3-0 run, including an ace by Millie Allgood (Sherwood, Ark.) gave the Lions a 9-8 lead.
 
The Tigers' battle continued as they took a 12-11 lead on a 3-0 run, but A&M-Commerce served back with a 6-0 run to take a commanding 17-12 lead. Deja Benjamin (Pearland – Shadow Creek) tallied two kills in that stretch. The Lions ended the match on a 3-0 run, taking a 25-16 win in the third on a kill by Peyton Roper (Converse – Judson) to win the match.
 
For the Lions, Reese Fetty (Farmersville) hit .455 and tallied a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs, she also totaled two blocks and an ace. Kitana Tuufuli (Saint Hedwig – Steele) had seven kills, Benjamin had six, and Roper had five.
 
Plant totaled 17 assists, while Connally had 11, and Jade Smith (Houston – Mayde Creek) posted 11 digs. Avery Wilks (Mont Belvieu – Barbers Hills), Roper, and Benjamin had three blocks each.
 
Kennedy Reed had 10 kills for Texas Southern.
 
MATCH ONE: MISSOURI STATE 3, A&M-COMMERCE 0
The day began with the Lions and the Bears facing off. Missouri State led 4-2, until a 4-0 run gave the Lions a 6-4 lead in the first set. Missouri State answered with a 5-0 run, but the Lions tied the set at 13.
 
A service error by A&M-Commerce gave Missouri State a 14-13 edge and the Bears scored the next six points to take control of the set and took the first set, 25-17, on a double block.
 
The Lions led 3-1 in the second set and extended it to 8-4, but the Bears stormed back with a 7-0 run to lead 11-8. Missouri State did not allow A&M-Commerce to tie the set and won the set, 25-15, on a 5-1 run.
 
Missouri State won the first two points of the third set and did not trail again in the set. A&M-Commerce had won two in a row to pull to within two, but a 7-0 run by Missouri State followed. The Bears won the third set, 25-14, on a 5-1 run as well.
 
Fetty once again led the Lions in kills, with nine, while Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) and Yasmin Figueiredo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) had three each. Connally and Plant totaled 10 assists each, while Connally also had three blocks. Smith recorded 14 digs.
 
Both Azyah Green and Deja Bickers recorded 10 kills each for Missouri State.
 
Friday marked the Lion debuts for incoming transfers Taylor Borden (Gregory-Portland), Plant, Fiona Arnold (Herzberg, Germany), Roper, Smith, as well as collegiate debuts for Wilks and Tuufuli.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions meet the hosts, UTSA, on Saturday at 2 p.m. to close out the weekend.