Kingsville - The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team started Homecoming weekend with a crucial win in Lone Star Conference play, getting a key four-set win over Midwestern St.
The win brings the two teams to the same record in conference play and gives the Javelinas the all-important tiebreaker. It also featured more history for senior setter Elisa Carli, who had two aces, the first of which was the 128th of her career, moving her into third place all time on the Javelina career aces list. Carli was top-five in the conference in total aces entering the weekend.
"It's always obviously good to win, especially at home," Head Coach Tanya Allen Gonzalez said. "There was a lot of people here tonight, we had a lot of other teams here supporting us. We're very thankful for that, it's a great home environment and I feel like we capitalized on that."
The team collected 55 kills on just under a .200 hitting percentage as a team. After playing a few one-and-off offensive matches in a row, the team looked very strong, swinging at over .300 in each of the final two sets, both of which the Hogs won. Though Midwestern responded to a first-set loss with a dominant second-set win, Kingsville turned it up on both ends in the third and fourth set to cruise to a victory. While the offense keyed the victory, the team's back row defense was integral as well, out-digging by 16 the visitors from Wichita Falls, who entered the weekend leading the conference in digs/s.
Junior defensive specialist/libero Monique Gonzalez led the way in that regard, picking up a match-high 23 digs to go along with six assists. Offensively, it was right-side hitter/S Rylan Pollard who stuffed the stat sheet, which has become the norm for the do-it-all senior. She collected 16 kills on .324, and added 15 assists, five digs, two block assists, and an ace.
She led four different Hogs who posted at last eight kills, including junior middle blocker Natalee Rush, who put up nine kills on just 12 swings, continuing an amazingly-efficient season.
"Everybody did their part and their role," Gonzalez said. "I mean, the numbers speak for themselves, I think we did really good offensively and defensively, and then we had a good amount of aces - go Tayae."
Sophomore DS Tayae-Renae Garcia dropped in four of the team's nine aces, while adding 13 digs and and a kill. Carli joined her in double figures in the back row, picking up 10 digs as well as her 27 assists, two aces, and a kill.
The team will have another chance to defend its hardwood tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. when it faces LSC-leading Lubbock Christian for a Homecoming matinee. Centennial Beer will be available for purchase at the concession stand in the SPEC beginning at 1:00 p.m. and lasting throughout the duration of the match.
