Lubbock - Texas A&M-Kingsville fell short against Lubbock Christian University in four sets Friday at Rip Griffin Stadium.
The Javelinas (10-6, 2-3 Lone Star Conference) could not get enough defensive stops against the Lady Chaps (7-8, 3-2 LSC), allowing Lubbock Christina to hit .307 and finish with 67 kills for the match.
Rylan Pollard finished the match with 10 kills and
Ayanna Jackson would add nine kills herself.
Elisa Carli once again led the team with 22 assists and Jackson would have a stellar performance defensively, finishing with seven total blocks.
The match began with both teams struggling to find a consistent offensive rhythm. The Lady Chaps jumped out to the early advantage, but the Javelinas rallied back thanks to their defense. Jackson,
Natalee Rush,
Rylie Barnett,
Meghan Stiefer and
Kendall Harrington all finished with at least a block assist in the first set and powered the Javelinas to a set one victory.
Moving to set two, the Lady Chaps were able to get their offense rolling before the Javelinas could catch up. Lubbock Christian would eventually build an eight-point lead late in the second set and eventually close the set out.
Set three would begin far better for Texas A&M-Kingsville, yet they could not shake the Lady Chaps away from their lead. The teams would eventually find themselves knotted up at 1 apiece, but Lubbock Christian would put their foot on the gas and pull away from the Javelinas in set three.
In the final set of the match, the Lady Chaps came out with a sense of urgency, building an early six-point lead. A kill by Rush would spark a Javelina rally that brought them within one, but that would be the closest the Javelinas would get as they eventually fell in set four.
Texas A&M-Kingsville travels to San Angelo to take on No. 14 ranked Angelo State Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on Flosports.
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