NEW ORLEANS – Despite falling behind by 10 points in the second set on Thursday evening, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team rallied to sweep New Orleans at the Human Performance Center and extend its winning streak to three via set scores of 25-18, 25-23, and 25-17.
The Lions have won three a row to move to 3-1 in Southland Conference play and improved their overall record to 7-10. The three-match winning streak is the second-longest in the Division I era.
Last season, the Privateers took both matches over the Lions in the regular season. A&M-Commerce downed UNO in the Southland Tournament and took the first match this season to even the head-to-head between the two teams. UNO is now 2-13 overall and 0-4 in SLC matches, having lost eight in a row.
"Tonight was a really good win for our team," said coach
Joe Morales. "We struggled in the second set with a huge deficit, but the team was determined to get that set win."
TheThions scored the first four points of the match for the early lead and force the Privateers to use a timeout. UNO took the next three to pull to within one, but A&M-Commerce remained up front by taking the next three to lead 7-4, but the Privateers tied the set at seven.
Each time the Lions jumped out to a lead, the Privateers came back each time, not letting the Lion lead getting bigger than three in the first portion of the first set. The Privateers tied the set at 15, but the Lions took eight of the next 10 to build a six-point lead and being two points away from winning the first set.
The Lions closed out the first set on a service ace by
Jade Smith (Houston – Mayde Creek), 25-18.
JADE SMITH ACE HIGHLIGHT
The script was flipped in the second set with UNO taking the first four points of the set. The Lions took the next two points, but the Privateers took the next five points to lead 9-2. UNO built out a 14-4 lead in the second set. Following a timeout called by Morales, the Lions won eight straight points to fight back into the set.
The Lions kept fighting back and tied the set at 20. A&M-Commerce trailed 18-13 and momentarily was trailing 19-13, until a challenge by the Lions flipped it to 18-14. A&M-Commerce won nine of the next 11 to take a three-point lead, the first of the set, and led 24-21 for three chances to win the set.
The Privateers remained alive by taking the next two points, but the Lions closed out the set, 25-23, on an assisted block by
Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) and
Deja Benjamin (Pearland – Shadows Creek).
The Lions jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the third set to force an early timeout for UNO. A&M-Commerce continued to lead throughout the third set, but the Privateers won four straight to make it 23-17. The Lions won the next two points to take the match in three.
Peyton Roper (Converse – Judson) led the team with 10 kills, while both
Peyton Plant (Littleton, Colo.) and
Breann Connally (Coolidge – Groesbeck) recorded 17 assists each. Plant had nine digs, while Connally had seven.
Millie Allgood (Sherwood, Ark.) served up four aces and tied for the team lead in digs with 12. Smith also had 12 digs.
Reese Fetty (Farmersville) recorded nine digs, three aces, and four kills. Benjamin had three blocks.
Morales added, "we had a lot of contributors tonight and stayed within our offense. Our setters did a good job in staying with our game plan; also our serving really showed in the third. The team is focused and staying the course no matter the lows or highs. Really proud of them."
UP NEXT
The Lions head to defending Southland Tournament champion, Southeastern, on Saturday at 11 a.m.
-TAMUC-
