COMMERCE, Texas – Despite freshman Ayanna Jackson (San Antonio, Texas) and junior Kailey Estrada (San Antonio, Texas) combining for 19 kills and a .419 attack percentage, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team was handed a 25-18, 25-12, 25-17 defeat by the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions in Lone Star Conference action on Saturday afternoon at the Field House in Commerce, Texas.
The Javelinas have now dropped their last two matches and they are 11-4 overall and 5-4 in the LSC. The Lions have won four straight, are 7-7 for the year and 7-3 in league play.
Jackson finished the afternoon with 10 smashes and just one error on 22 attacks and her .409 kill rate was her second-highest mark of the year. Estrada surpassed her teammate in hitting percentage with a mark of .429, logging nine kills without a mistake. Junior Emily Witt (Rose Hill, Kan.) posted TAMUK's top assist total with 18 and junior Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) led the Javs in digs with 16.
Six of the day's first nine points were won by the Javelinas, with Witt and Jackson each contributing multiple kills during that stretch, but the Lions responded with an 8-1 run that put them ahead, 11-7. The Javs quickly sliced their deficit to one, but they could never completely close the gap and Commerce slowly built their advantage back up before a Riley Davidson ace closed out the game.
The Lions crafted a .467 hitting percentage that helped them dominate the second frame. TAMUC held an 8-7 lead early in the set, but outscored their guests 17-5 after that, including a smash from Maiya Dickie for the final point.
The teams traded leads at the start of the final game, with a 3-0 Lion advantage turning into a 5-4 edge for the Javelinas and, after TAMUC moved back ahead, the Javs strung together three straight points to close within one at 11-10. Unfortunately for the visitors, the home team then went on another run to make the score 18-12 and TAMUK could never regain its footing. A service error by the Javs provided the day's final point.
The Javelinas are set to enjoy all the comforts of home on Friday, when they'll be back at the Steinke Physical Education Center for a 6 p.m. match against Western New Mexico on Campers Day. Stay up-to-date with everything related to Javelina volleyball all season long by following @Javelina_VB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter, @JavelinaVB and @JavelinaSports on Instagram, liking TAMUK Volleyball on Facebook, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com.
Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy. Get the Official Javelina Athletics Mobile App today! Download on the App Store or Get It on Google Play to keep up with all the news, scores and updates of your favorite Javelinas
