San Angelo - A record-setting 2025 season for the Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball team came to an end Thursday night with a three-set loss to top-seeded Angelo St. in the Lone Star Conference Tournament Quarterfinals.
TAMUK finished out its season with a 18-10 overall record - its 10-7 record in conference play earned it the eighth seed in the LSC Tournament and Thursday's match against the weekend's hosts, ASU. The team battled back in both the first and second sets, mounting furious comebacks that fell just short.
"I think we were a little bit error-prone, I think part of that was on us and part of that was credit to Angelo State, I think their defense kind of took away what we tend to favor, and it made it difficult for us to come outside our comfort zone a little bit," Head Coach
Tanya Allen-Gonzalez said. "And then some of it was on us, easy serves missed or easy free-balls missed, that kind of thing."
Kingsville was held to just .039 hitting as a team, but played gritty offense to match, holding the Belles under .170 attacking as well. The team out-dig their hosts and posted just two fewer kills and the same number of service aces across the match, but 28 attacking errors sunk the Hogs' comeback bid. For the Javelinas' five graduating seniors, it meant not only the end to their season, but to their careers in the blue and gold as well.
"I'm really grateful for the time that I had in Kingsville, like, I'm so glad that I chose to come here," senior middle blocker
Madelyn Wallace said. "This is my four-and-a-half year right now and, you know, I wouldn't have had it any other way."
Junior outside hitter
Rylie Barnett reached double-digit kills to lead TAMUK, putting up 10 on .222 alongside three digs, while senior rightside hitter
Kendall Harrington finished just behind her with nine. Sophomore libero
Tayae-Renae Garcia's 14 digs paced the team, which had four different players put up at least eight. Senior RS/setter
Rylan Pollard notched a double-double with 15 assists, 11 digs, and an ace. She, along with Wallace, Harrington, setter
Elisa Carli and OH
Kerigan Baumgartner have all finished their time on the court as Javelinas after excellent careers under Allen-Gonzalez, making history in more ways than one along the way. The senior class will leave its mark on the program history books as well, including Pollard's nation-leading 11 triple doubles, and Carli's third-place finish on the career service aces list.
"Emotions are high, it's a tough loss, but we had a great season," Carli said. "I think just looking back at our four years, it's like the people, the program, and everything that we got through Kingsville, it's bigger than this loss."
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