LAKE CHARLES, La. – The East Texas A&M University volleyball team nearly mounted a comeback from being down two sets to none but lost to McNeese in five on Thursday night at the Townsley Law Arena. The Cowgirls edged out the Lions, 15-13, in the deciding set.
Ariana Brown (Conroe) gave the Lions early side outs with kills from
Jade Washington (Waco – Midway) and
Katelyn Pritchard (McAllen) to tie the opening set at 2-2 and 3-3 after McNeese scored the first two points. McNeese moved ahead 6-3, and after a kill from
Samantha Mosley (Atlanta) made it 6-4, the home side scored five straight points to build an 11-4 lead.
The Lions got kills from
Sediong Scott (Houston – Elsik),
Sabine Wenzel (Melrose, Mass.) and Brown as they traded side outs through the middle of the set, but McNeese stretched the margin to 20-10.
Gracie Campbell (Klein Oak) and Wenzel added late kills, and a block by Mosley and Wenzel helped make it 22-13, but McNeese closed the set 25-14.
ET opened the second set with kills from Mosley and Campbell for a 2-0 lead, but McNeese quickly pulled even and the teams traded points through a 14-14 tie. McNeese moved ahead 16-14 with a service ace and a kill, then held a 19-16 lead before Scott's kill, an ace from
Semaj Cox (Missouri City – Elkins) service ace and a block by Campbell and Wenzel tied the set at 19-19. McNeese scored the next three points to go in front 22-19, but the Lions answered with Campbell's kill, Pritchard's ace and two McNeese attack errors to tie it again at 23-23. McNeese closed the set with an Ava Henry kill and Henry service ace to take it 25-23.
McNeese moved ahead 7-3 before the Lions scored five straight in the third set, with Brown recording two kills and
Rendi Fetty (Farmersville) serving back-to-back aces to put the Lions in front 8-7. After a service error tied the set at 8-8, Brown delivered consecutive kills for a 10-8 edge, and the Lions continued to build separation with a Wenzel kill, a
Jill Vinal (A&M-Consolidated) ace and kills from Brown and Campbell. McNeese got as close as 20-16 late, but
Haley Mullaney (Decatur) and Brown answered with kills, Mosley put the Lions on set point, and Campbell closed the set at 25-18.
The Lions moved in front early in the fourth set, using blocks by Scott and Mosley and a Campbell kill to build a 7-3 lead. Campbell, Mullaney and Brown added kills during a stretch in which the Lions pushed the margin to 13-4. McNeese answered with a run that trimmed the score to 16-11, but the Lions kept the set under control with kills from Brown, Mosley and Campbell to reach 21-14. Fetty served the final four points, including an ace and a Brown kill, as the Lions closed the set 25-14, forcing a fifth.
In the final set of the night, the Lions answered the opening point with kills from Brown and Campbell before Brown's service ace gave the Lions a 3-1 lead. After Mosley's kill made it 5-3, McNeese moved in front, and the teams traded points around kills from Campbell, Pritchard and Brown as McNeese held a narrow edge. McNeese reached 14-11, but the Lions stayed alive on Scott's block and Fetty's service ace before a kill closed the set for McNeese, 15-13.
Brown led the Lions with 22 kills while hitting .392, and she added 18 digs and two aces. The 22 kills were a season high for Brown. Campbell finished with 18 kills and six digs, exceeding her season average of 9.69 kills. Washington collected 18 digs, five assists and one ace. Pritchard had a season-high 10 digs.
Fetty served four aces, surpassing her season average of 0.83, and added five digs. The Lions totaled 11 service aces, eight blocks and 75 digs in the match, exceeding their season averages of 8.0 aces, 7.89 blocks and 53.63 digs.
Having lost their last four and 11 of their last 14, the Lions are 8-12 overall and 2-5 in Southland Conference play. The Cowgirls are 7-11 overall and 3-4 in Southland play.
UP NEXT
The Lions visit Nicholls on Saturday at 11 a.m.
-ETAMU-
