PORTALES, N.M. – Freshman Ayanna Jackson (San Antonio, Texas) reeled off a season-high 17 kills and hit .429, but the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team was defeated by the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds, 25-23, 25-22, 26-24, on Saturday afternoon in Lone Star Conference action at Greyhound Arena in Portales, N.M.
The Javelinas record now stands at 12-7 overall and 6-7 in the LSC. The Greyhounds have won five straight, are 6-7 in league competition and 6-15 overall.
Jackson's 17 kills were a match-high and her highest total since she racked up 21 on Jan. 27th against St. Edward's. Freshman Sydney Whitmire (Tarkington, Texas) led the team in assists with 19, while freshman Madeleine Stolzer (San Antonio, Texas) distributed 15 helpers. Junior Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) finished with a match-high 13 digs, while senior Kapri Pelle (Auburn, Calif.) picked up 12.
Neither side could find much breathing room in a first set that included 15 ties and five lead changes. ENMU seized the momentum late with a 4-1 burst for a 21-19 lead and they regained that two-point edge at 23-21 after the Javelinas tied the score at 21. The teams then exchanged points twice, with a smash by Kali Nelson concluding the stanza.
The second frame started with the Greyhounds taking an 8-4 lead, but two kills from Jackson helped the Javs battle back to tie the score at nine and a run of four straight points soon after put the visitors in front, 13-12. Unfortunately for TAMUK, the Greyhounds then fashioned a run of their own, taking nine of the next 10 rallies to make the score 21-14. The Javs mounted a comeback that brought them to within 24-22, but a kill by Gracelyn Stubbs provided the set's clinching point.
Multiple leads were exchanged throughout the third game, but four straight Javelina scores midway through the set transformed a 15-14 deficit into an 18-15 advantage. The Javs held on to the momentum for most of the rest of the frame and led 24-22 following a smash by Pelle, but they couldn't find the score they needed to wrap up the set. The Greyhounds took four-in-a-row, the last one on a Jasmine Gannon kill, to clinch their victory.
The Javelinas are back at home on Friday, when they're scheduled to host the St. Edward's Hilltoppers at 6 p.m. Fans can stay up-to-date with all of the latest news surrounding Javelina volleyball 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.
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