SAN ANGELO, Texas – Senior Melanie Casteel (Dallas, Texas) collected 13 kills with a .478 hit rate while sophomore Emily North (Red Oak, Texas) passed out 28 assists and the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team rolled over the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers, 25-21, 25-19, 25-18, on the first day of the Katherine Brasfield Invitational at Stephens Arena at the Junell Center in San Angelo, Texas on Friday. This marks the fifth time in six seasons the Javelinas have started 2-0.
"We played well as a team today," said coach Tanya Allen, "and I was really excited to have some flexibility in my lineup. I was able to move people around and they didn't skip a beat."
Casteel's 13 kills led all players and her success rate on 23 attacks was a career-high. She also committed only two errors. Junior Roxanne Morris (Goliad, Texas) contributed 11 kills on offense and nine digs on defense. North's 28 helpers and two aces were both match-highs.
On defense, sophomore Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) dug out 19 attacks and senior Talleyshia Morris (Tulsa, Okla.) collected three total blocks. Morris has had multiple blocks in eight straight matches dating back to 2018.
The Blue and Gold never trailed by more than a point in the opening game and held NWOSU to a .038 attack percentage as they went up, 1-0. Three smashes by Casteel helped TAMUK to a 5-0 advantage and she added two more kills in a 5-1 stretch following an 8-2 run to put the Rangers ahead, 11-10. After the Javelinas' lead had been cut to 16-15, another 5-1 spurt made the score 20-15 and allowed the Javs to thwart a Ranger comeback, sealing the set on finishers by North and Casteel, who swung at a .417 clip in the frame.
Through the first 20 points in second stanza, there were six ties, including 10-10 before the Javelinas grabbed the momentum, taking five of the next six. The difference between the teams was never more than six the rest of the way, but NWOSU never crept closer than two before a service error put TAMUK one set away from a win. Six different players picked up a kill for Allen and Co. during this set, with a combined spike rate of .323, making only two errors on 31 chances.
The final game saw the sides trade leads early before TAMUK raced away and built a lead the Rangers couldn't overcome. With NWOSU ahead 11-10, sophomore Kailey Estrada (San Antonio, Texas) and junior Meghan Merlino (Sacramento, Calif.) combined for a block that sparked a 9-1 run, which included multiple blasts from Casteel and two North aces. The Javs cruised the rest of the way, clinching the sweep on consecutive kills from North and Merlino.
The Javelina offense converted 129 attacks at a .217 rate. Their 15 errors were the fewest by a Javelina team since Sept. 1st, 2018, when they also made only 15.
For the Rangers, they could only muster 30 kills against 21 errors for a .070 hit rate on 129 chances. They held a lead of more than one point only once: when they went up 2-0 to start the third set.
Day two of the 2019 will see the Javelinas take the court two more times, first at 8 a.m. against Southeastern Oklahoma State and again at 4 p.m. for a match with Fort Lewis College.
To keep up with Javelina volleyball all season long, follow @JavelinaVB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter and Instagram, visit TAMUK Volleyball on Facebook, subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visit Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
