Edmond, OK - The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team started its Oklahoma trip with a hard-fought three-set loss to Oklahoma Christian, falling 31-29, 25-23, 25-18.
The team battled to the finish in each set, forcing extra points in a scrappy first set, but ultimately took its third Lone Star Conference loss of the year, dropping to a 5-3 record in conference play and 13-5 overall. Despite the loss, senior setter
Elisa Carli made history, moving into the fourth on the all-time Javelina career service aces list with the 125th of her career, which she nabbed on her first serve of the night. She also led the Hogs with 17 assists, and now sits just one assist away from moving into seventh on the all-time Javelina career assists list.
Though they brought their usual, balanced scoring attack to bear, the Javelinas were unable to keep up their usual efficiency Friday night, as they combined to hit just .120 as a team. On the flip side, OC's offense found another gear, hitting .315 as a team while out-hitting and out-blocking the Javelinas. In spite of those poor numbers, TAMUK fought tooth and nail to stay in the match, highlighted by a late comeback in the first set in which the team rattled off six straight points to take a 19-18 lead. From there, the teams' scores were never more than two points apart the rest of the set, which the Eagles ultimately won. The second set was more of the same, as after OC briefly held an early three-point lead (11-8), the differential was never larger than two points for the rest of the set, which the Eagles again won to take a decisive 2-0 lead before they completed the sweep in the third.
Four Hogs put up at least seven kills, led by junior outside hitter
Rylie Barnett, who collected 11 kills to go along with a dig and a solo block. The most efficient of the bunch, unsurprisingly, was junior middle blocker
Natalee Rush, who hit .467 with seven kills, while adding four total blocks as well as a dig. Amazingly, that performance will actually bring Rush's season hitting percentage, which was the second highest in the nation entering the weekend, down.
Senior right side hitter/S
Rylan Pollard finished just two kills shy of adding to her nation-leading total of six triple doubles on the season - she collected a team-high 13 digs as well as 13 assists. Senior OH
Kerigan Baumgartner wasn't far behind with nine digs of her own as well as three service aces, which ties her season high.
The Javelinas will be back on the hardwood tomorrow in Lawton for a 2:00 p.m. match against Cameron, with an opportunity to head back to Kingsville with a win,
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