LAREDO, Texas — On Wednesday, the Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball fell to Texas A&M International 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-23, at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building in what represented the 2022 Lone Star Conference season opener.
The Javelinas (6-6, 0-1 LSC) fell to the Dustdevils (10-3, 1-0 LSC) in four sets, despite stellar defensive performance by seniors Kailey Estrada and Nicole Murff.
Estrada led the contest in blocks sending six attacks back, helping hold TAMIU to a .136 hitting percentage, with Murff recording 30 digs for the third time this season. Sophomore Ayanna Jackson provided the bulk of the scoring for TAMUK with 12 kills and two blocks of her own, while junior Jackie Alanis logged her ninth double-double of the campaign with 11 successful attacks and 11 digs. Pacing the Javs in assists, freshman Elisa Carli set the table 20 times, with sophomore Sydney Whitmire not far behind with 15.
Three consecutive Dustdevil errors allowed the Javelinas to snag a 5-3 lead early in the first set before TAMIU worked a 6-6 tie. The Javs then took eight of the following nine points with multiple kills by junior Tammy Jo Grohman, Jackson, and Alanis, allowing the team to take a commanding 14-7 edge. TAMIU crawled their way back to within two later in the frame prior to an Estrada block and a freshman Madelyn Wallace kill that resulted in an 18-14 score line. The Dustdevils stole two points down the stretch before an Alanis ace combined with an Estrada block to cement a 25-20 win.
A Dustdevil error, Wallace kill, and Whitmire ace afforded the first three points of the second set for the Javelinas before TAMIU worked a 7-6 score. The Javelinas then used blocks by freshman Meghan Stiefer and Jackson for a four-point splurge and an 11-6 lead. With TAMUK up 13-10, TAMIU strung together five straight, snatching a two-point advantage. The teams were deadlocked at 18 going down the stretch, as a six-point Dustdevil run allowed them to take a 23-18 that the Javelinas could not recover from.
TAMIU stole the first three rallies in the third set before the teams traded scores for the majority of the period. Still trailing by three, a kill by Wallace and an attacking error by TAMIU pulled the Javs within one. The battle continued before TAMIU rattled off four straight for a 19-14 edge. Down 21-16, the Javs stormed back with three Jackson kills and an ace by Carli, featuring in a 7-1 scoring run that resulted in a Blue and Gold lead. However, TAMIU took four of the final five points for a 26-24 set win.
A back-and-forth fourth set resulted in a 14-14 draw prior to a four-point TAMIU burst that made the score line 18-14. A quartet of Blue and Gold points featuring a Jackson kill, then retied the contest at 19. Each team traded points as a block by Estrada kept the set knotted at 23 before kills by Mackenzie Catalina, and Jasmin Garcia allowed TAMIU to take the set and match.
The LSC schedule continues Saturday, as the Javelinas travel to Silver City, New Mexico for a noon matchup against the Mustangs at Drag's Court.
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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