HOUSTON – The Houston Christian Huskies came back from being two sets down to beat the East Texas A&M University volleyball team in five on Thursday night at Sharp Gym via set scores of 22-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-21, and 15-13.
 
The five-set loss halted a three-match winning streak for the Lions, who fall to 9-16 on the season and 6-7 in Southland Conference play. Houston Christian is now 10-14 overall and 7-6 in SLC action. The two teams went 1-1 against each other this regular season.
 
Thursday was the first match as the East Texas A&M Lions for the volleyball program.
 
With the first set tied at 10, the Lions pulled ahead 13-11 and extended it to 16-12. The Huskies fought back by pulling back to within one at 17-16, but a late 3-0 run gave the Lions four chances to win the set at 24-20, and despite HCU fighting off two set points, a kill from Reese Fetty (Farmersville) secured the first set for the Lions.
 
Houston Christian won the first three points of the set and led 9-5, but East Texas A&M won four of the next five to remain within reach and put together an 8-1 run to lead 18-14. Late in the set, the Huskies won two in a row to make it 23-22 in favor of the Lions, but a kill from Fetty gave the Lions a set point and a kill by Avery Wilks (Mont Belvieu – Barbers Hill) gave the second set to the Lions.
 
Looking to stay alive in the match, the Huskies led 6-2 in the third and went on to take the third set 25-18 and sent the match to the fourth set. Neither side was able to pull away in the fourth, until a 5-1 run put the Lions up 16-14, though the Huskies won five of the next six and despite the Lions saving a set point, they took the fourth set, 25-21.
 
This was the fifth set for the Lions, who were 2-2 in matches that went the distance this year. It was all Lions to start the fifth as East Texas A&M won four of the first five. Trailing 6-4, the Huskies won six of the next seven to lead 9-7.
 
The Huskies continued to lead at 13-10, but the Lions fought back into the match with a 3-0 run, the next two points went to the Huskies, who are now 6-1 all-time against the Lions.
 
Fetty picked up a double-double for the Lions with 15 kills, 11 digs, while Wilks had 10 kills and four blocks, and Carley Spachman (Leewood, Kan.) racked up five blocks to lead the team.
 
Ellie Baumert (Dodge, Neb.) had 32 assists, while Jade Smith (Houston – Mayde Creek) totaled 23 digs and Millie Allgood (Sherwood, Ark.) had 10. Savannah Jennings (Rosehill Christian) had 12 assists for the Lions as well.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions play at UIW on Saturday at noon for the final road match of the regular season.