DALLAS, Texas — The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team fell to Dallas Baptist University on Friday, as the Lady Patriots claimed a 26-24, 25-19, 25-23 Lone Star Conference Victory in the Burg Center.
The Javelinas (11-7, 3-2 LSC) fell to the Lady Patriots (15-3, 6-1 LSC) despite logging an impressive .330 hitting percentage, a figure that was largely impacted by sophomore
Ayanna Jackson and junior Jackie Alanis who each delivered incredibly efficient attacking performances.
Jackson turned in a .667 hitting percentage with eight kills, while Alanis terminated the ball 14 times at a .481 percent clip. Sophomore Elisa Carli played a significant role in the offense, logging 18 assists while recording three service aces. Defensively, Alanis recorded a pair of blocks, while senior Nicole Murff paced the squad with 12 digs. Additionally, sophomore Meghan Stiefer performed well, recording six kills with eight digs.
The first set saw a back-and-forth battle between the squads as they were deadlocked at eight before a six-point Lady Patriot spurt handed DBU a 13-8 lead. Later in the set, TAMUK used a four-point swing featuring an Alanis kill that knotted the frame at 15. The teams then traded blows for the remained of the set as another successful attack by Alanis resulted in a win-by-two scenario. DBU wasted no time collecting the following two points for a 26-24 win.
TAMUK claimed the first three rallies of the second set with kills by Stiefer and Jackson delivering an early lead, shortly before a five-point spurt featuring a Carli ace and freshman Rylan Pollard kill put the Javs up 9-2. The Lady Patriots clawed back, claiming the subsequent seven rallies to tie things up. Alanis answered with a kill, and senior Kailey Estrada recorded a solo block prior to a four-point DBU run that handed the Lady Patriots a 13-11 lead. From there, DBU kept the Javelinas at arm's length using a five-score surge later in the set to cement a 25-19 win.
The Javs again claimed an early lead as a six-point run bookended by Carli aces for a 9-6 Blue and Gold edge. The Lady Patriots slowly fought back, eventually working a 17-17 tie. Things remained deadlocked until DBU strung together a pair of points for a 23-21 score line. Two more kills resulted in a 25-23 set and match win for the Lady Patriots.
The Javelinas will be back in action on Saturday as they visit Tyler, Texas, for a showdown with UT Tyler, with competition at the Louise Herrington Patriot Center set to begin at noon.
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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