CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – With the regular season dwindling down, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team secured its spot in the postseason with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-15, 27-25) victory over HCU Thursday night in the Dugan Wellness Center.
The Islanders (10-15, 6-7 SLC) took care of business tonight to secure their berth into the Southland Conference Tournament Nov. 21-23. With just two weeks remaining, tonight was the first of four final matches ahead of the postseason championships where the Islanders will get the chance to defend their title.
The Islanders' offense found its rhythm early and never slowed down, finishing with a .360 hitting percentage while holding the Huskies to just .191.
Kenna Buchanan led the charge with 17 kills on an impressive .577 clip, while
Katelyn Krienke added 14 kills and three blocks at the net. Setter
Virginia Van Der Werff paced the attack with 47 assists, and
Brooklyn Jaeger anchored the back row with 23 digs.
Buchanan also came away with the double-double, adding 11 digs to her performance tonight.
A&M-Corpus Christi set the tone early with a dominant opening frame. Fueled by a 6–0 start that featured a pair of kills from Krienke, the Islanders never trailed on their way to a 25–16 win. Houston Christian responded in the second set, battling through 10 ties and five lead changes before pulling out a narrow 27–25 victory to even the match.
The Islanders bounced back with authority in the third, opening on a 7–2 run and extending their lead behind a spread attack. A late ace from Buchanan gave the Islanders set point which converted into a 25–15 win that swung momentum back to the home side.
After Houston Christian erased a late Islander lead in the fourth set to tie it at 24, Krienke delivered the finishing blow to close it out, clinching the 27–25 set and the match victory for the Islanders.
The Islanders will close their home slate this year on Saturday with a 1 p.m. matchup against UIW. Before the match, the Islanders will honor their seniors in a special senior day recognition.
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