KINGSVILLE, Texas – For the third consecutive match, senior Madison Brabham (Kingwood, Texas) logged a triple-double as the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team collected a 23-25, 25-21, 25-16, 27-25 win over the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds on Saturday afternoon at the Steinke Physical Education Center in Kingsville, Texas.
This makes four triple-doubles on the season for Brabham, who was credited with 22 assists, 14 kills and 11 digs while also hitting .379. That kill rate was the team's second-best, surpassed only by junior Talleyshia Morris (Tulsa, Okla.), who picked up 12 kills with just 2 two errors on 20 attacks for a .500 clip. Junior Sarah Miller (Long Beach, Calif.) matched Brabham's total with a game-high 14 kills, while adding 11 digs. Junior Melanie Casteel (Dallas, Texas) set a season-high with a .333 hit rate to go with 13 finishers.
Freshman Emily North (Red Oak, Texas) put up a match-high 35 assists, the second-highest total of her rookie season. Fellow first-year Javelina Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) led the way in digs with 17.
The Javelinas (11-8. 3-5) controlled the early action in the opening set, taking 10 of 14 at one point to build a 13-6 lead. The Greyhounds (7-10, 5-4) immediately chipped away with four consecutive points and were soon within one at 15-14. ENMU forged a tie at 16 and evened the score three more times after that before taking their first lead at 20-19. The frame would see four more ties before a kill by Julie Tucker and a TAMUK attack error sealed the set for the visitors. Morris had a perfect frame for TAMUK with five kills on as many swings, but Eastern New Mexico outhit the Javelinas, .306 to .200 in the set.
The early lead in the second stanza again went to the Blue and Gold, as they notched five of the first six scores and later built a seven-point lead at 16-9. An 11-4 run allowed the visitors to draw even at 20, but the Javs responded by capturing five of the set's final six points, tying the match at one set apiece. TAMUK ratcheted up its hitting percentage during the set, connecting at a rate of .414.
The Javelinas and Greyhounds were even through the first 18 points of the third game before the home team took eight of 11 for a 17-12 edge and ENMU could never catch up. The Greyhounds couldn't get closer then three and the Javs took the last six rallies, North staking her team to a 2-1 lead with an ace. The Blue and Gold defense limited their opponents to a .043 hitting clip in the set.
As the fourth game started, ENMU seemed intent on extending the match to a fifth set, taking an 11-7 lead, but they couldn't hold off another charge from TAMUK. Six of the next eight rallies went the way of the Blue and Gold to forge a 13-13 tie and the sides exchanged leads before the Greyhounds edged in front by three. With the score at 23-20, the Javelinas took charge and sealed the victory. Four straight points, the last an ace by senior Haley Hutchinson (Georgetown, Texas) put TAMUK up one. Eastern New Mexico tied the score twice, but on the third match point, freshman Kailey Estrada (San Antonio, Texas) supplied the finisher for her team's 11th triumph.
Two road matches lie ahead for the Javelinas, who will travel to Lawton, Okla. for matchup with the Cameron Aggies on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Fans can keep up with Javelina volleyball throughout the season by following @JavelinaVB on Twitter and @javelinasports and @JavelinaVB on Instagram, liking Javelina Volleyball on Facebook and visiting Javelinasports.com.
