STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville and Tarleton State volleyball teams played a back-and-forth match on Saturday with the Texanns coming out on top in five sets 25-13, 21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-9 at Wisdom Gymnasium. (box score)
The Texanns (13-6, 4-1) took the first set of the Lone Star Conference match easily behind a powerful attack that performed at a .406 clip.  The Javelinas (4-12, 1-4) bounced back with hard fought victories in the second and third sets as sophomore Sha Tramble (Houston/Clear Brook HS) led the attack and junior Tara Grier (Poth/Poth HS) was excellent in the service game.
The Texanns came back in the fourth set with a come-from-behind victory.  Grier served four straight points to give the Javelinas a 24-22 lead before TSU got a side out.  Then Tarleton’s Missy Castro served out the match punctuating the win with a set point ace.
The fifth set was all Texanns as they were able to win a key conference match.
Tramble led the Javelinas with 11 kills and 14 digs to register her sixth double-double of the season.  Junior Kristin Chancellor (Bellville/Bellville HS) and senior Shaday Smith (Houston/Jones HS) combined for 21 kills.  Sophomore libero Virginia Hernandez (Katy/Katy HS) played possibly her best match of the year with a season high 30 digs and received 38 serves without an error.  Grier added 15 digs and a team high two service aces while junior setter Kirby Krueger (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) posted a 28-assist, 11-dig double-double.  Freshman setter Courtney Attebery (Cypress/Cypress Springs HS) contributed 17 assists and six digs.  Overall, the Javs had a .141 attack with 87 digs and 7.0 blocks.
The Texanns had four players with at least 10 kills in the match.  Allison Hill led the way with 14 kills, 21 digs and five blocks while Castro had 11 kills, 24 digs and four service aces.  Jessie Hartman and Danielle Perkins shared the setting duties with a combined 58 assists.  Shea McBrearty led the team with 25 digs.  The Texanns registered 65 kills, a .225 attack, 95 digs and 8.0 blocks.
Kingsville returns home on Monday night for a non-conference match with St. Edward’s University at 7 o’clock in the Steinke Center.  The game can be listened to online at www.tamuk.edu/ktai.
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