SAN ANGELO, Texas (Volleyball) – It didn't come easy but Texas A&M University-Kingsville (26-8) advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 Lone Star Conference Tournament after defeating West Texas A&M University (18-14), 3-2, Thursday afternoon at the Junell Center at Stephens Arena.
 
With the victory, the Javelinas opened their LSC Championship quest with the first tournament win since Nov. 14, 1998 versus Central Oklahoma. The victory was also the first win in San Angelo, Texas since Sept. 24, 2005. Texas A&M-Kingsville moves on to take on the winner of No. 2 Tarleton State University and No. 7 Western New Mexico University tomorrow at 5 p.m.
 
After taking a commanding 2-0 lead, the Javelinas were challenged by the Buffs but ultimately, picked up the 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 12-25, 15-12 win. All-LSC first team selection Krystal Faison secured her 18^th double-double of the season with 19 kills, 21 digs and three blocks and fellow first-teamer and Newcomer of the Year Lexi Wick added 13 kills on 32.1 percent hitting and five blocks. Madison Brabham finished with13 kills and three blocks and Haley Hutchinson was involved in eight of Kingsville's 13 blocks. Ashley Bukowski and Krystal Puente collected 24 and 23 digs, respectively, to lead all players while Bukowski swatted away four attempts. Casey Klobedans tallied her 16^th double-double with 46 assists and 11 digs to go with her three blocks.
 
Set One
The Lady Buffs jumped out to an early 11-5 lead after five consecutive points. After a Javelina timeout, Klobedans and Wick combined for a block and Kingsville added two more to make it an 11-8 match.
 
Down 12-8, a Faison kill, Klobedans ace and WT attack error cut the third seeded Hogs' deficit to one and forced a Lady Buff timeout. Coming out the break, Hutchinson and Brabham spearheaded the 6-0 run to give the Hogs their first lead, 14-12.
 
Moments later, Texas A&M-Kingsville strung together its longest run of the opening set – five consecutive points – to take a 20-15 edge over the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs.
 
The Javelinas were able to squeak away with the 25-21 victory in the first set on a block by Faison and Hutchinson to close out the set on a 20-10 run.
 
In the first, Wick and Hutchinson registered two blocks apiece, Bukowksi had four digs and Faison hit .364 with four kills.
 
Set Two
The streaky Javelinas continued in the second set as the Hogs took their first lead of the game, 7-6, on Bukowski's ace. In fact, A&M-Kingsville score five unanswered points and Bukowski registered two blocks during that span.
 
West Texas made it a 12-11 match before a ball handling error, Hutchinson kill and Faison ace extended the Kingsville lead, giving the Hogs a four-point cushion.
 
The Blue and Gold took a commanding 2-0 lead with a 25-22 victory in set No. 2. Faison tallied six kills and seven digs in the set to head into the third with 10 kills, eight digs and two blocks.
 
Set Three
Unlike the opening sets, the Javelinas took the early edge and continued to tack on, leading 7-1 with kills by Hutchinson, Brabham (three), Klobedans and Bukowski. The Lady Buffs called to timeout to cool TAMUK's momentum, and the sixth-seeded Buffs tied the game at 9-9.
 
Trailing 18-16, the Javelinas recorded another block, this time by Wick and Klobedans as the lead was cut to one. The clubs traded points and the Hogs were able to knot it up at 19-19 with yet another block for Hutchinson and Klobedans.
 
Faison took control in the closing stages with back-to-back kills to put the Javelinas in front, 22-21. The Lady Buffs responded with consecutive points to get ahead by one, but Brabham and Hutchinson continued to provide a wall up front, picking up their third and fifth block, respectively, to tie the contest at 23. An overturned call gave WT set point but Wick's 10 kills of the afternoon tied it again, this time at 24. However, the Buffs were able to get the final two points of the set to make it 2-1.
 
Set Four
West Texas capitalized and took a 12-7 lead in the fourth set.  The Lady Buffs extended the lead to double figures 22-10 and tied the match at 2-2 with a 25-12 win in set No. 4
 
Set Five
The Hogs trailed 2-0 but Bukowski's seventh kill of the afternoon could not have come at a bigger time, capping off three straight points for TAMUK to give the Hogs a 3-2 lead.
 
The Lady Buffs took a one-point lead that was all knotted up on a block by Bukowski and Hutchinson. Kingsville continued its streak and picked up two more points, the latter on an assisted block by Wick and Bukowski. Following the third tie of the set, the Javelinas tallied two crucial points to take an 8-6 lead as the programs switched sides.
 
The lead extended to three, 10-7, on a Wick kill and attack error by WT. With the lead increased to four, Puente and Taliah Phipps hustled to save the play and the momentum remained in the Javelinas corner with Faison collecting her 18^th kill of the season.
 
West Texas did not go away quietly, cutting its deficit to one, 12-11. The resilient Hogs took a 14-11 lead on Faison's kill and Hutchinson/Faison's assisted block. The Javelinas won their first tournament game in nearly 20 years 3-2.
 
Next Up
The Javelinas take on the winner of the No. 2 Tarleton State TexAnns and No. 7 Western New Mexico Mustangs tomorrow at 5 p.m. Live stats, audio and video will be available on JavelinaAthletics.com.
 
Social Media
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