HAMMOND, La. – The 2024 season for the East Texas A&M University volleyball team came to a close in the quarterfinal round of the Southland Conference Tournament with a 3-0 loss to the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions on Friday night at the Pride Roofing University Center via set scores of 25-21, 25-11, and 25-15.
 
East Texas A&M ends the season with a record of 10-19 overall and tied for seventh in the SLC with a conference record of 7-9, which are the most conference wins in the Division I era. Friday's match in the postseason marked the 13^th year in a row that the Lions played in the postseason.
 
Southeastern, who is the top seed in this weekend's conference tournament, improved to 25-4 on the season and has not lost a match since September 5. The Lady Lions advance to face UIW in the semifinals on Saturday looking to win its third tournament championship in a row.
 
In the first set, Southeastern pulled ahead 15-9 on a 6-1 run, but East Texas A&M fought back into the set with a 6-0 run to tie at 15. The set was tied at 18, but the Lady Lions won five of the next six and despite East Texas A&M saving a set point, SLU won the set on a service error.
 
After the first point of the second set went to East Texas A&M on a service error, SLU won the next eight and closed out the set winning five of the last six points of the second set. In the third set, Southeastern led 4-1 and despite the Lions saving a match point, SLU sealed the win with a kill by SLC Player of the Match, Cicily Hidalgo.
 
Both Reese Fetty (Farmersville) and Avery Wilks (Mont Belvieu – Barbers Hill) had five kills to lead the Lions, while Fetty had seven digs and two blocks as well.
 
Ellie Baumert (Dodge, Neb.) recorded 17 assists and Jade Smith (Houston – Mayde Creek) recorded team-best 15 digs.
 
Friday marked the final match in Lion careers for Fetty, Smith, Millie Allgood (Sherwood, Ark.), Fiona Arnold (Herzberg, Germany), Kaitlyn Breland (Magnolia West), and Carley Spachman (Leewood, Kan.).
 
The Lions return eight players that played in Friday's match next season.