Kingsville - Despite a furious comeback attempt from the Javelinas, the Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team fell, 3-1, to Lubbock Christian on Homecoming Saturday.

Facing off with the conference-leading Chaps, the Hogs, as a team, posted a better hitting percentage, more kills, more assists, and more blocks, but fell just short of forcing a tie-breaking fifth set. The loss moves TAMUK down to 14-7 overall and 6-5 in Lone Star Conference play with six conference games left in the regular season. 

"I mean, you never feel good about a loss," Head Coach Tanya Allen-Gonzalez said. "Lubbock Christian's a really good team, and I thought there were moments where we were playing really well. Obviously, they just did it for longer stretches and capitalized and got a dub." 

The front row of the Javelina defense put up one of its best performances of the season, posting 12 total blocks across the four sets, with seven different Javelinas collecting multiple block assists. Senior middle blocker Madelyn Wallace led the way in that category, getting countless block touches and totalling five block assists and a solo stuffie. Not far behind her was junior MB Natalee Rush, who had two solo blocks and two block assists. 

Offensively, three separate Javelinas posted double-digit kills, led by Rush, who put together another incredible match with 12 kills on 25 swings. Senior right-side hitter/setter Rylan Pollard wasn't far behind in the kills category, posting 11 of her own. She flirted with what would have been her eighth triple double of the year, adding 23 assists and six digs, as well as three block assists and an ace. Senior RS Kendall Harrington added 10 kills as well, chipping in three digs and a pair of block assists.

Getting her 15th start of the year at the libero, junior Monique Gonzalez notched a match-high 21 digs, the fourth match of her season with at least 20, and the third in a row. Senior outside hitter Kerigan Baumgartner finished just shy of a double-double, finishing with eight kills to go along with her 16 digs, an assists, an ace, and two block assists.

The team now stares down the home stretch of the season, with each of TAMUK's final six matches holding significant weight, particularly in the LSC standings, in which Kingsville currently sits in eighth (top eight make LSC Tournament)

"I think they're progressing, I think we're getting good," Allen-Gonzalez said. "We know the LSC is tough. I think they understand that they have to continue to get better. I think there's no team in the LSC that we can't compete with, but you have to compete every single night, or you'll get beat the same way that you can win. So, it's kind of a toss up as far as who's gonna play well each night, so we just have to stress to our team that we've got to be the one that plays well every time."

The Javelinas begin that final stretch with a Tuesday-night bout in Dallas against Dallas Baptist, who has lost three straight matches and sits at 5-5 in LSC play.
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