STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team travelled to Stephenville Tuesday for a rare mid-week Lone Star Conference match giving the Texanns all they could handle in tough three-set match before falling 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, and 25-22).
Kingsville had won two straight matches entering the night and sit at 12-11 overall and 5-9 in the LSC. Tarleton moves to 12-2 in the conference and is now 19-8 on the year.
In the opening set, Kingsville jumped out to a 6-2 advantage on kills by Stephanie Johns and Kelsey Washington. After Tarleton chipped its way back into a tie at eight all, Kingsville again built a 5-point lead on two occasions first at 17-12 on another Johns’ kill and at 18-13 on a Katie Colwell error.
The Javelinas could not shake the Texanns, who climbed back into a tie at 20 on Meg Umbel’s kill. The set would be tied at 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 before Stacie Murrah recorded back-to-back kills to win the set.
The second set was even tighter with neither team holding more than a 3-point lead with 10 ties. The set was tied at 20 when TSU pulled away with a 5-1 run for to take the game 25-21. Despite losing the set, Kingsville hit .308.
The third set was no difference with the teams tied numerous times with the last time come just past the midway point at 17 all. However, Jazmine Greene and Murrah each had a pair of kills in a 5-1 run for a 22-18 lead.
The Javelinas twice pulled back to within two at 22-20 and 24-22, but could not fight off a third match point falling 25-22.
Brown led the Javelinas with 11 kills. Sarah Fountain had 34 assists and has now averaged over 11 assists a set for three straight matches. Four Javelinas had double-digit digs led by Kalinda Graves with 22. Kelsey Washington, Friesenhahn and Fountain all had 11 digs. Washington and Friesenhahn just missed double-doubles with eight kills apiece.Murrah paced the hosts with 15 kills. Danielle Barker had a match-high 42 assists, and Emily Klein matched Graves with 22 digs.
After heading to Abilene Christian for a 7 p.m. match on Friday, Kingsville is home for three straight next week.
On Tuesday, St. Mary’s comes to town at 7 p.m. Prior to the match the Javelina Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Whataburger will team up for a Trunk-or-Treat from 6-7 p.m. in the large parking lot next to the SPEC. The Javelinas will not only host a costume contest on Tuesday, but it is also the team’s Dig Pink match sponsored by Christus Spohn Hospital Kleberg. Any fan wearing a costume or pink will receive free admission into the match.
On Friday, the Javelinas and Texanns will meet in a return match at 7 p.m. on Kingsville Hampton Inn Court. Nationally-ranked Angelo State visits at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Angelo was ranked ninth in the most recent poll.
