CANYON, Texas — The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team took on No. 11 West Texas A&M on Friday, falling 18-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-19 in Lone Star Conference action in The Box.

The Javelinas (19-9, 11-4 LSC) took a set from the No. 11 Lady Buffs (23-4, 15-0 LSC) in a contest that saw members of the Blue and Gold leading several statistical categories, including freshman Madelyn Wallace who paced the match in points with 18.5. The newcomer from La Vernia, Texas, logged 17 kills and three blocks, marking a new career high in scores. 

Additionally, sophomore Sydney Whitmire totaled 30 assists, and senior Kailey Estrada sent back five Lady Buff attacks. Sophomore Ayanna Jackson also turned in an impressive performance to the tune of 14 kills and five blocks.

After a back-and-forth start to the first set, the Javelinas used a kill by Estrada, a Lady Buff miscue, and a freshman, Rylan Pollard termination, to take a 17-13 lead. WT fought back to within a pair before a four-point surge capped off by a Jackson kill delivered a 21-15 Blue and Gold edge. Another three-point swing came courtesy of a Pollard kill, a Wallace block, and a successful Jackson attack, putting the Javelinas one point away from securing the stanza. Shortly after, a Lady Buff error handed TAMUK a 25-18 win.

WT took an 8-5 lead in the second frame, but two kills by Jackson and terminations by sophomore Meghan Stiefer and Wallace resulted in a 9-8 Blue and Gold lead. The Lady Buffs quickly tied things up before the squads traded rallies with a Stiefer kill resulting in a 24-24 tie and a win-by-two scenario. The Lady Buffs then strung together a pair of points for a 27-25 victory, knotting the contest at a set apiece.

The Lady Buffs claimed a 9-8 lead in the third before back-to-back kills by Stiefer and Jackson afforded TAMUK a 10-9 edge. WT quickly tied things up prior to a three-point swing that saw two Wallace kills and a block. With the Javelinas out in front 13-10, The Lady Buffs eventually worked a 15-15 tie before taking a 21-18 lead that they didn't relinquish.

The Javelinas trailed by three early in the fourth before a Pollard kill sparked a four-point surge that featured a Whitmire ace and multiple Wallace blocks for a 12-11 edge. WT answered with multiple spurts of their own to go up 21-16 before claiming the final frame, 26-18, and the match.

The Javelinas now head to Lawton, Oklahoma, for the final contest of the regular season, as they face Cameron Saturday with the first serve in the Aggie Gym slated 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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