CORPUS CHRISTI – For the second straight year, the East Texas A&M University volleyball team came up with a win at the Dugan Wellness Center, defeating A&M-Corpus Christi 3-1 on Saturday afternoon, closing the match by rallying from 24-22 down to win the fourth set 27-25.
The Lions hit .278 with 56 kills, 14 service aces and 12 blocks, while A&M-Corpus Christi hit .241 with 54 kills. The 14 service aces were above the Lions' season average of 7.46, and the 12 blocks were above their season average of 8.12.
East Texas A&M went 2-0 on the road trip this weekend, improving to 11-16 overall and 5-9 against Southland Conference opponents, while splitting the season series with the Islanders, who fall to 9-16 overall and 7-7 in Southland action. With two matches left in the regular season, the Lions must win both to advance to the conference tournament.
The Lions stayed within 5-4 in the opening set on a
Katelyn Pritchard (McAllen) service ace, but A&M-Corpus Christi moved ahead 17-10. The Lions pulled back to 21-18 with help from a
Sabine Wenzel (Melrose. Mass.) kill and a block by
Gracie Campbell (Klein Oak) and Wenzel, but the Islanders reached set point at 24-19. Wenzel's kill started a late push, and
Jade Washington (Waco – Midway) served as the Lions got an assisted block from
Samantha Mosley (Atlanta) and
Sediong Scott (Houston – Elsik) block, a Mosley kill and two Islanders attack errors to tie the set at 24-24. Mosley answered Mason's kill to make it 25-25, but a pair of kills followed to give the Islanders the set, 27-25.
After the teams traded points to 2-2,
Ariana Brown (Conroe) put the Lions in front with a kill and Scott followed with back-to-back service aces for a 5-2 lead. The Islanders got back within 5-4, but the Lions rebuilt the margin to 12-6 behind kills from Mosley and Scott and a Washington service ace. After A&M-Corpus Christi cut it to 12-8, Scott delivered consecutive kills, Brown added another kill and Pritchard served an ace during a push to 17-8.
The Islanders later moved within 18-13, but Campbell,
Skylar Lambert (Aledo) and Wenzel helped the Lions stretch it back to 21-13 before they closed the set 25-16 on an Islander service error.
After A&M-Corpus Christi moved in front 9-4, the Lions put together four straight points on Mosley's block, Scott's kill, an Islanders attack error and Mosley's kill to get within 9-8. The Islanders rebuilt the margin to 11-9, but Brown's kill, a block by Scott and Lambert and Brown's ace pushed the Lions ahead 12-11, and Scott added two kills for a 14-12 lead.
The Islanders tied the set at 14-14 and again at 16-16, but Wenzel answered with a kill, teamed with Brown on a block and added another kill as the Lions went up 19-16. The Lions stayed in front from there, reaching set point on a Scott and Campbell block before Scott's final kill closed the set 25-21.
The Lions answered an early 6-3 deficit with a run on Washington's serve, using a Campbell kill, two Washington aces and an Islanders attack error to move ahead 7-6 before Scott's kill later made it 8-7. The Islanders pushed back in front through the middle of the set and built a 20-15 lead, then reached set point at 24-19 after a Lions service error. Wenzel kept the set going with a kill, Mosley and Wenzel combined on a block, Campbell served an ace and Mosley added two kills to pull the Lions even at 24-24. After A&M-Corpus Christi went back ahead 25-24, Wenzel tied it with a kill, Washington served an ace and Campbell finished the set with a kill for a 27-25 Lions win.
Wenzel finished with a season-high 13 kills, seven total blocks and 17.5 points. Scott added 12 kills while hitting .391, with three service aces, three blocks and a season-high 16.5 points. Washington recorded 20 digs, a career-high and season-high four service aces, topping her previous career best of three, and 10 assists. Lambert recorded their first solo block of the season. Mosley has recorded at least 10 kills in three consecutive matches, and Brown has recorded at least 10 kills in two consecutive matches.
Jill Vinal (A&M-Consolidated) distributed 25 assists and collected 11 digs.
UP NEXT
The Lions play Northwestern State in their final two games, playing in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
-ETAMU-
