SAN ANGELO, Texas — The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team rallied to a five-set road victory over Angelo State, as the Javelinas claimed a 25-20, 23-25, 23-28, 25-20, 15-12 win at the Junell Center in Lone Star Conference action.
"It was incredibly exciting," said coach Tanya Allen-Gonzalez. "Angelo has really good offense, so there were stretches where we struggled to slow them down. I thought we stepped up in the end and had way better serve receive than we did most of the match which I think really helped our offense. I'm just really proud of the girls."
The Javelinas (15-8, 7-3 LSC) wrangled the Rams (11-12, 7-4 LSC) in five sets as the Javelinas out-killed the opposition 72-54. Sophomore Ayanna Jackson and junior Jackie Alanis led the match, each logging 17, while Jackson posted five blocks in the process. Freshman Madelyn Wallace and senior Kailey Estrada also logged double-digit kill totals, with Wallace launching 12 successful attacks and Estrada 11. Additionally, Estrada was incredibly efficient in attack, as the middle blocker recorded a .524 hitting percentage. Sophomore Sydney Whitmire and freshman Elisa Carli paved the way for the Javelina attackers, with Whitmire putting up 39 assists and Carli 24.
Senior Nicole Murff anchored the defense with 33 digs, while Estrada and Wallace posted three blocks apiece. Sophomore Meghan Stiefer, Alanis, and Whitmire joined Murff in logging over 15 digs, helping the team eclipse the 100-dig threshold.
The Javelinas wasted no time snagging an early lead, as kills by Wallace and an ace for Whitmire helped TAMUK take the first four rallies. Wallace launched another successful attack, and Alanis recorded a kill as another four-point spurt handed the Javs a 9-3 lead. The Rambelles' climbed back to within three before freshman Rylan Pollard sparked a run that saw TAMUK steal five of the next six, with a Steifer kill gifting a 17-10 edge. Back-to-back aces by Jackson and a Rambelle error put the Javelinas up 22-14 before a five-score ASU spurt made the score 23-19. Estrada and Pollard quickly logged kills delivering a first-set victory.
The second set featured a back-and-forth battle with teams trading rallies until a 22-22 deadlock was broken by consecutive Rambelle points. Estrada answered with a kill, but ASU adjusted, taking the second frame 25-23.
Another tight set ensued as the Javelinas took a 7-4 lead courtesy of a Wallace kill before ASU knotted the contest at seven. Both teams matched each other's runs, with a Rambelle attacking error keeping the competition tied at 21. ASU took three of the subsequent five with a Wallace and Jackson kill resulting in a 24-23 score line favoring the Rambelles. However, a kill by Kaila Garnett secured a 25-23 set win for ASU.
Angelo State started hot in the fourth, claiming six of the first seven points before the Javelinas rattled off a 7-1 surge, in which Estrada, Wallace, and Grohman all logged kills. ASU tied the contest at eight prior to back-to-back kills courtesy of Alanis and Stiefer for a 10-8 Blue and Gold edge. The Rambelles later tied the set at 12 before another Grohman kill, and an ASU error handed the Javs a slim lead. ASU again knotted the contest at 18, but the Javs surged using blocks by Alanis and junior Tammy Jo Grohman, as well as a Grohman kill and a Steifer ace to snag a 24-19 lead as a Rambelle error forced a fifth and deciding set.
Estrada and Wallace combined with a block to deliver the Javelinas a 5-2 edge in the final set. The Rambelles battled back to within one before consecutive Jackson kills, and a successful Stiefer attack capped off a three-point Javelina swing for an 11-7 TAMUK lead. From there, the Javelinas coasted to the victory as an Alanis kill resulted in a five-set road win.
The Javelinas cap off the weekend on Saturday, as they visit UT Permian Basin with the first serve set for 2 p.m.
Fans can follow Javelina volleyball all season long via Javelinaathletics.com, where they'll find links to live video and stats and a recap at the end of each match. 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.-
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