Box Score LAREDO, Texas – With the season series even at one match apiece, the Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team outlasted Texas A&M International Tuesday for a 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9) victory.
Kingsville improves to 14-12 on the season and has a busy week ahead. They visit Our Lady of the Lake on Thursday, Angelo State on Friday, and Tarleton on Saturday. The Dustdevils fall to 2-20.
The Hoggies jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the serve of Giselle Carreon in the decisive fifth set and never trailed. International pulled to within 6-5 before the Javelinas cemented control of the match with a 7-2 spurt. Kingsville, which hit .381 in the final set, had four kills and an ace in the run by Stephanie Johns.
The Dustdevils could get no closer than three points the remainder of the way.
After struggling in the first offensively, Kingsville won the next two sets to take a 2-1 lead.
In set two, the Javelinas had the edge 16-12 midway through when the Dustdevils went on an 11-3 run to lead 23-19. After gaining the serve back at 23-20 following an error by International's Toriana Goods, the Javelinas scored six of the sets final seven points.
Kingsville tied the set on a kill by Dedra Brown and Shae Smith gave the team a 24-23 lead. After TAMIU tied the set at 24, a Kelsey Washington kill pushed the Hogs back into the lead, while Sarah Fountain's kill closed out the set.
In the third set, the Javelinas trailed by a point twice early and were tied at eight early. Leading 13-12, the Javelinas went on a 6-1 run to take control of the set and a 2-1 lead.
The fourth set was close throughout. International broke an 18-18 tie with a 5-1 spurt. Kingsville rallied to pull within a point at 24-23 but could not gain an advantage. International won the set 25-23 to force the fifth set.
Brown led four Javelinas in double-digit kills with 17 and posted her first double-double with 11 digs. Washington added 13 kills with a career-high 29 digs. Stephanie Johns added 11 kills with just two errors in 22 attempts for a .409 hitting percentage. Johns also had nine blocks including four solo.
Kingsville finished with a season-high 103 digs. Aside from Washington's career-high in digs, five others finished with double digit digs. Maria Carlin had 18 digs, Brittany Gutierrez 13, Carreon and Brown 11, and Sarah Fountain 10.
Alex Ciszek had 14 kills for the hosts and Goods 13.