WACO, Texas – After dropping a 3-1 (27-25, 20-25, 20-25, 22-25) loss to Baylor earlier today, the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi volleyball team (2-1) put together a dominating performance to sweep Southland foe Abilene Christian, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-22), in the final match of the Baylor Invitational in the Ferrell Center.
Senior Brianna Brink nailed a team-high 46 kills and registered 4.18 kills per set over the weekend. For her outstanding performance she was named to the all-tournament team.
The Islanders will now trek to Edinburg, Texas, to compete in the two-day UTPA Tournament against Texas-Pan American, Northern Arizona and Texas Tech. First match is slated for Thursday, Sept. 4, against the Broncs.
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MATCH 2: TEXAS A&M - CORPUS CHRISTI 3, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 0
The Islanders held the Wildcats (0-3) to just .129 hitting in the match and had an all-around balanced team effort. Brink hit a match-high 15 kills on .303 hitting to power the Islanders who registered a season-best .266 hitting percentage. Juniors Ivy Baresh and Chelby Stanford each notched their second double-doubles of the season. Baresh finished with 10 kills and 13 digs, while Stanford dished out 39 assists and 14 digs. Haley Satterwhite Day also finished in double-figures for the second straight match with 11 kills. Defensively, Hailey King posted 16 digs and Kate Klepetka added 11.
A&M - Corpus Christi controlled the first set early opening with a 14-4 lead. ACU responded with a 6-1 run before Satterwhite put down a kill to give the Islanders a six-point cushion. The Islanders maintained their lead to win 25-18. Brink led the set with four kills while Baresh notched an impressive nine digs. A&M - Corpus Christi held the Wildcats to a .070 hitting percentage, while posting a .208 percentage themselves.
The Islanders' defense was outstanding in the second set, limiting the Wildcats to a set-low .057 hitting. Baresh and Brink both collected five kills apiece while Stanford posted 13 assists and six digs. Much like the first set, the Islanders came out strong to take a 13-9 lead after Kelsee Felux and Brink hit back-to-back kills. The Islanders padded their lead to 20-16 after Satterwhite secured her seventh kill of the match to force ACU to call a timeout. A&M - Corpus Christi held their lead to win 25-18.
In the third set, the Islanders and Wildcats battled early going neck-and-neck until Satterwhite started a 7-0 run to push the Islanders ahead 23-17. During the run, Stanford chipped in two aces, while Brink added a kill and Satterwhite notched two. After ACU threatened with four straight points, both teams traded points until Brink clinched the set, 25-22, and match with her 15th kill.
MATCH 1: BAYLOR 3, TEXAS A&M - CORPUS CHRISTI 1
The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi volleyball team dropped a tight 3-1 (27-25, 20-25, 20-25, 22-25) loss to Baylor in the first match today. Junior Haley Satterwhite Day propelled the Islanders with 15 kills while junior Hailey King matched a career-best 22 digs. Freshman Kristyn Nicholson notched her first double-double of her career with 34 assists and 14 digs.
The Islanders started out strong with a 27-25 first-set victory, but the Bears (2-0) answered back three straight wins with the help of their play at the net. Baylor controlled the net 14-8, and was powered by three players in double-figure kills, including Andie Mallroy who hit .277 with 19 kills.
The Islanders came out strong in the first set which featured 12 ties to win 27-25. Senior Brianna Brink led the Islanders with four kills, while Nicholson tallied eight assists and six digs. The Islanders and Bears went neck-and-neck early before A&M - Corpus Christi built a 16-11 lead on a 6-0 run. After a Baylor timeout, the Bears clawed their way back with three straight points to knot the set at 18-18. Both teams traded points back and forth until the Islanders capped the set and the victory on a kill by Ivy Baresh, and a block assist by Brittany Gilpin and Nicholson.
A&M - Corpus Christi took control early in the second set to build a 14-8 lead on a 9-2 run. The Bears responded with a 5-1 run before Brink nailed down a kill to help the Islanders build a three-point cushion. Once again, Baylor rallied back to score four consecutive points and knot the set at 17-17. After Brink and Baresh hit straight kills, Baylor went on a 4-0 run to push ahead 21-19. Following an Islanders' timeout, Baresh and Gilpin teamed up for a block assist before the Bears clinched the set 25-20 with four consecutive points. Baylor hit a set-high .244 while holding the Islanders to a .094 hitting percentage.
The Islanders and Bears battled back and forth early in the third set until Baylor put together a 6-0 run following a block assist by Madeleine Doud and Brink to take a 23-17 lead. After trading points, Satterwhite nailed one of her seven kills of the set down before the Bears secured a 25-20 victory. Nicholson dished out 10 assists and Satterwhite hit .308 in the set.
The Islanders jumped out early in the final set before Baylor gained a 10-7 lead on a 5-0 run and never looked back. After building a 23-15 lead, A&M - Corpus Christi rallied back with six straight points to trim Baylor's lead to two. Brink capped the run with her 10th kill of the match before Baylor captured the set, 25-22, and the victory. King recorded eight digs while Nicholson tallied nine assists and Doud notched two block assists in the set.
