HOUSTON – Senior Brianna Brink posted 19 kills on .421 hitting and freshman Kristyn Nicholson recorded her 10th double-double of the season to lead the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi volleyball team to a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-14, 25-17) over Houston Baptist tonight. The Islanders earned their sixth Southland Conference sweep of the season to improve to 9-4 in conference play.
Brink powered the Islanders' (16-14, 9-4 SLC) offense while Nicholson dished out a match-high 37 assists while collecting 11 digs and a pair of service aces. The Islanders' defense was also strong with four players finishing in double-digits. Along with Nicholson, freshman Kate Klepetka tallied a team-high 17 digs, while junior Ivy Baresh chipped in 12 digs and junior Hailey King added 10. As a team, the Islanders registered 68 digs and held Houston Baptist (13-14, 7-5 SLC) to .062 hitting.
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle early on before the Islanders pulled away at 12-9 after putting together a 5-0 run. After a timeout by HBU, the Huskies rallied back to even the set at 14-14 and battled the Islanders until pushing ahead at 21-20. A&M - Corpus Christi then scored five straight to clinch the first set 25-21. During the run, Brink and Brittany Gilpin each put down a kill and Klepetka added an ace. The Islanders hit .143 in the first set while the Huskies posted a .146 hitting percentage.
The Islanders carried over their momentum into the second set to jump out to an early 11-6 lead. A&M - Corpus Christi kept things rolling and padded its lead to six after a kill by Nicholson. The Islanders maintained their lead and capped off the set on a 4-0 run to win 25-14. During the run Brink, Baresh and Gilpin each nailed a kill. A&M - Corpus Christi hit a solid .324 and held the Huskies to .000 hitting. Brink racked up seven kills in the set while Nicholson notched 13 assists and five digs.
In the final set, both teams went neck-and-neck early on before the Islanders scored four straight to push ahead at 19-15. From there, the Islanders put together a 6-1 run to win 25-17 and secure the 3-0 sweep. During the run, Nicholson served up an ace while Ashley Phelps and Brink each put down kills. A&M - Corpus Christi registered a .158 hitting percentage and limited HBU to .043 hitting.
The Islanders will trek to Conway, Ark. on Saturday, Nov. 8, to face Central Arkansas in their final regular-season road match. First serve is set for 12 p.m.
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