COMMERCE – Despite forcing a fifth set, the East Texas A&M University volleyball team lost to Houston Christian 3-2 on Saturday afternoon inside the Field House on the Hunt Regional Court. The Lions won the first and fourth sets, but HCU took the fifth 15-9 after set scores of 25-15, 16-25, 23-25, 25-18, 9-15.
The opening set stayed even through nine, with
Samantha Mosley (Atlanta),
Sediong Scott (Houston – Elsik),
Ariana Brown (Conroe) and
Skylar Lambert (Aledo) supplying early kills for the Lions before the Huskies pulled level. The Lions moved ahead 12-9 on a HCU service error, a
Jade Washington (Waco – Midway) ace and an attack error, but the Huskies later cut the margin to 14-13.
After a Huskie service error made it 15-13, Scott served the Lions through four straight points, including blocks involving
Sabine Wenzel (Melrose, Mass.) and Lambert and kills by Brown and Lambert for a 19-13 lead. The Lions pushed the advantage to 22-14, then finished the set at 25-15 on kills by Wenzel, Mosley and
Gracie Campbell (Klein Oak).
The second set was tied at 4-4 after Mosley put down two early kills and Campbell added one for the Lions. The Huskies created separation, scoring eight straight points to move ahead 12-4. The Lions cut the margin to 12-7 with kills by Scott and Wenzel around a HCU attack error, but the Huskies later stretched the lead to 17-9. Mosley, Campbell and
Katelyn Pritchard (McAllen) helped the Lions get back to 19-14 with two kills and an ace, but the Huskies took six of the final eight points and closed the set 25-16 on Katy Barger's kill.
After HCU built an 8-5 lead in the third, the Lions sided out on a Mosley kill and Pritchard served four straight points, including two aces and two Scott kills, to put the Lions in front 10-8. The Huskies tied the set at 10-10, but the Lions later answered a 15-13 deficit with a four-point stretch that included a Campbell kill and a Wenzel kill for a 17-15 lead.
The teams traded points through the late stages before Scott's kill, a Huskie attack error, a service error and another Campbell kill helped the Lions move ahead 23-20. HCU closed the set with five straight point to win the set 25-23.
After the Huskies scored the first two points in the fourth, the Lions answered with back-to-back service aces from Scott and later moved in front 5-3 on Campbell's kill. The set stayed tight through 11-11 before Campbell put the Lions ahead again, and serves by
Jill Vinal (A&M-Consolidated) helped the home side score four straight points to reach 16-11 behind two Campbell kills and consecutive blocks involving Mosley. The Lions pushed the margin to 18-12 on a Wenzel kill and a Mosley kill, then rebuilt the lead to 22-15 before HCU scored three straight. The Lions stopped the run at 23-18, reached set point on another Campbell kill and finished the set 25-18 on a HCU attack error.
The Huskies opened the fifth set with a 3-0 lead, but the Lions pulled even at 3-3 on a Campbell kill from
Jordyn Wacaster (Wylie East) and Scott's ace after a service error. After HCU went back in front 6-4, Campbell served consecutive aces to put the Lions ahead 7-6, and Mosley later tied the set at 8-8 with a kill from Vinal. The Huskies moved ahead 11-8 and after Mosley cut it to 11-9, HCU scored the final four points to take the match 15-9.
Campbell led the Lions with 19 kills and 21 points while hitting .425 and adding two service aces. Mosley finished with 17 kills on a .444 hitting percentage, six blocks and 20.5 points. Wenzel recorded a team-high eight blocks and added seven kills while hitting .333. Washington collected a team-high 19 digs and added eight assists with two service aces.
The Lions are 9-16 overall and 3-9 in Southland play. The Huskies are 6-18 overall and 4-8 in Southland play. The two teams split the season series this season.
UP NEXT
The Lions visit UTRGV on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
-ETAMU-
