KINGSVILLE, Texas — On Friday, the Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team took down Midwestern State 25-10, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21 for their sixth straight victory in Lone Star Conference action at the Steinke Physical Education Center.
"We did a good job," said coach Tanya Allen-Gonzalez following the win. "A little up and down in the third and fourth set. But honestly, I felt like Midwestern kind of stepped it up and played a little harder. They have a really good middle blocker that is a good attacker, and we had a hard time slowing her down."
The Javelinas (17-8, 9-3 LSC) won in four sets against the Mustangs (6-20, 4-9 LSC) as TAMUK out-blocked their opponents 15-8. Freshman Madelyn Wallace and sophomore Ayanna Jackson led the way statistically, each posting eight, while senior Kailey Estrada logged seven and junior Jackie Alanis three.
Alanis and Jackson also boasted double-digit kill figures, with Alanis pacing the match at 19 and Jackson at 13. Meanwhile, sophomore Sydney Whitmire recorded a double-double with 11 digs and 28 assists, while senior Nicole Murff led the game in digs boasting 33.
The Javelinas wasted no time getting out in front, taking a 5-1 lead thanks to kills by freshman Meghan Stiefer, Wallace, Jackson, and Alanis, before MSU sided out, trimming the deficit to three. From there, the Javelinas won six straight rallies in a run that featured a Jackson service ace and multiple blocks by Wallace and Estrada. Leading 15-6, TAMUK again surged with seven consecutive points resulting from freshman Rylan Pollard, Alanis, and Stiefer getting kills and a pair of Alanis aces. Jackson then terminated the ball for a 25-10 set win.
Similarly, the Javs took a commanding early lead in the second frame, using a 10-point swing and five Alanis kills to go up 13-3. Later in the set, a kill for senior Tammy Jo Grohman sparked a four-score run, handing the Javs a 20-6 lead prior to a Murff ace that secured a 25-12 victory.
A back-and-forth start to the third set resulted in a 10-9 Javelinas lead that grew as a kill and block by Jackson, along with a Whitmire ace, delivered a 13-9 Blue and Gold lead. MSU bounced back, using a slew of two-point spurts to claim a tight 25-23 frame.
TAMUK regained their form in the fourth set as back-to-back kills and an ace by Stiefer sparked a 6-1 Javelina run, affording her team a 14-9 edge. Shortly after, a kill and ace by Estrada placed the Javs firmly in the driver's seat with a 19-14 lead. MSU wasn't done yet as the Mustangs answered with three straight, but four more Jackson kills put things out of reach for a 25-21 set win and a seventh-consecutive win in the SPEC.
The Javelinas are back in action Saturday as they host Texas Woman's for Senior Day, with the festivities scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the Steinke Physical Education Center.
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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