Volleyball goes 1-1 on Friday at Austin College Invitational
SHERMAN, Texas – The University of Dallas volleyball team (4-3) swept Howard Payne University in three-straight sets, before falling 4-1 versus East Texas Baptist University in the nightcap. The two-match split happened on the first of a two-day tournament hosted by Austin College on Friday evening.
Dallas prevailed 25-15, 25-20, and 25-16 against the Yellow Jackets to increase win streak to consecutive matches. In the first set, after falling behind 2-1, UD rattled a 9-2 run to create separation from its opponent. With the score reflecting 13-7 in favor of the Lady Crusaders, a stretch of six unanswered points pushed the lead to its largest of the game, 12.
In the middle set, the Navy and White went on a 7-1 run early to regain an early edge, and would never trail after going up 4-3 in that frame. The greatest span of consecutive points was six. Dallas posted its fourth 3-0 sweep this season with a nine-point triumph in the final set.
Later on, the Lady Crusaders were nipped 25-13, 25-23, 23-25, and 27-25 by East Texas Baptist. ETBU prevailed earlier that day, knocking off No. 23 Southwestern University, 3-2. After a tough first set, Dallas rebounded in the second set to knot things 22-all. A 6-0 run, including three service aces by junior Lexi Noriega (Salinas, Calif.) in the spurt, brought the game to that juncture. The squad's exchanged points, and the Tigers would earn the final two scoring results to secure a 2-0 lead.
Dallas went ahead 5-3 in the third set to begin things, and East Texas Baptist countered with four-straight points. Neither team possessed momentum for long periods, as this set featured 11 ties. The Navy and White would benefit on the last two scoring plays for the first victory in the set.
The remaining set favored the Tigers with a 17-12 edge at one point, and a 9-2 stretch cut the margin and lifted UD 21-19. The squads continued battling and would go to extra points to determine who prevailed. East Texas Baptist would garner the pair of needed points to take the set and match.
The second contest for UD was the first time one to go beyond the third set this fall campaign.
BOX SCORE RESULTS VS. HOWARD PAYNE (0-2)
- Senior Jaime Birzer (Ottawa, Kan.) and Noriega clobbered 11 kills apiece – both being accumulated toward their season-highs at the time. Junior Mairin Guilfoyle (Roanoke, Va.) added 12.
- Junior Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) logged a career-high 19 digs. Junior Jessie Koster (Sherwood, Okla.) added 14 and Noriega added 13.
- Freshmen duo Kaley Turner (Puyallup, Wash.) and Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) added 14 and 10 assists, respectively.
BOX SCORE RESULTS VS. EAST TEXAS BAPTIST (5-1)
- The scoring differential in the final three sets was determined by two points, with the final set going to extra points.
- Dallas notched a season-high 53 kills in this match.
- The Lady Crusaders were led by Birzer boasting a personal best – this year - 16 kills. It was the highest individual total for kills on the team in a game in 2015.
- A trio of players broke double figures in kills: Birzer, Guilfoyle with 13, and Noriega with 10.
- Another season-most, five Lady Crusaders would post double-digit totals in digs. Koster topped the group with 26. Also gathering defensive totals were Hassink notching a career-high 15, Noriega with 12, and junior Allison Seager chipping in 10.
- Smith garnered a career-best 39 kills in her seventh match of the campaign.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays two more matches on Saturday to wrap up the Austin College Invitational. First up is Hardin-Simmons University at 12 p.m. Right after that, UD takes on LeTourneau University at 2 p.m.
Each of those opponents split their matches, 1-1, on Friday.