SAN ANTONIO – The East Texas A&M University volleyball team was downed in three sets by the Incarnate Word Cardinals on Saturday afternoon via set scores of 25-14, 25-14, and 25-21, at the McDermott Center.
 
The Lions fall to 7-16 overall and 5-7 in Southland Conference action with just four matches left in the regular season. The Cardinals swept the season series for the first time over the Lions and improve to 13-11 overall and 9-3 in SLC action.
 
Neither side was able to breakaway through the first 18 points of the match as it was dead-even, but then the Cardinals surged to a 9-1 run to take the first on a kill by Kitana Tuufuli. The Cardinals hit .607 in the first set, while the Lions hit .152.
 
The second set started with the Cardinals leading 10-1, though the Lions won five of the next six, coming within five. Leading 14-8, the Cardinals went on a 9-1 run, which included three aces, to take command of the second set. Despite the Lions fighting off four set points, Kinley Evans delivered the set-winning kill for UIW.  
 
Unlike the first two sets, the Lions had a 4-2 lead in the third set but back came the Cardinals on a 4-0 run and did not trail again in the set. The Lions were down 19-15 but used a 5-2 run to come within a point of the Cardinals, who ended the match on a 3-0 run, winning the match on a kill by Evans.
 
For the Lions, Gracie Campbell (Klein Oak) totaled 11 kills, followed by 21 assists from Haley Mullaney (Victory Christian Academy) and 17 digs from Jade Washington (Waco – Midway).
 
UP NEXT
The Lions play Northwestern State twice next week, heading to Natchitoches on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and then coming back home to host the Lady Demons next Saturday at 11 a.m.