NATCHITOCHES, La. – After an emotional victory Thursday night over Stephen F. Austin, Saturday's trip to Northwestern State had trap-game written all over it for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Islanders showed no signs of a letdown, however, as the blue and green stormed to a record-breaking 13th sweep and eighth-straight win, defeating the Demons, 25-17, 25-19, 25-22.
It was only a matter of time until the 2015 Islanders felled the school record for sweeps in a single season. They tied the mark, set by the 2012 club, just 20 matches into the season and now, the 2015 team will top the record book after just 22 matches played.
Brittany Gilpin and Morgan Carlson led the way with eight kills on the afternoon. Gilpin, who sits atop the Southland Conference in hitting percentage turned in another terrific match, playing errorless in attack and hitting .533.
The victory brings a grueling two-week road swing to an end with a perfect 4-0 mark and extends the Islanders' winning streak to a school record eight matches.
"Today was a great finish to a tough two weeks on the road," said head coach Tony Graystone. "It wasn't our best match today, but Northwestern State did a good job of being disruptive and keeping us out of rhythm. I was happy with how we stayed focused and were able to play clean and limit our errors."
With Northwestern State's disruptive play, the Islanders were held to their fourth-lowest hitting percentage as a team, swinging just .189 on the afternoon. Yet, the blue and green stood tall defensively, shutting down the Demons' attack and any hopes of an upset.
Northwestern State committed 23 attacking errors and hit just .118 on the day as the Islanders held a seventh consecutive opponent below the .200 mark. The Demons committed another 13 service errors as the Islanders needed just 29 kills on the day to complete the sweep.
THE HISTORY
2015 has already been a memorable season for the Islanders with numerous records already rewritten and Saturday simply continued the trend. The Islanders swept their 13th match of the season to set the school record, needing just 22 matches to accomplish the feat. Compare that with the 2012 squad that previously held the record, which needed 31 matches to sweep 12 times and one quickly sees just how special this season has been.
The Islanders still have 10 regular season matches to potentially expand on the record and perhaps surpass another mark set by the 2012 squad. With the victory, the Islanders moved to 18-4 and are just three wins shy of the current school record, 21.
WELCOME HOME
After two weeks on the road, the Islanders return to the Island for their annual Dig Pink match Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in Dugan Wellness Center. The four-game road stretch was the longest the Islanders will face for the remainder of the season.
"We're really looking forward to getting back home and playing in front of a great Dugan crowd on Thursday," said Graystone.
Tickets to Thursday's Dig Pink match versus Incarnate Word are available by calling (361) 825-BALL or online at www.GoIslanders.com/tickets.
For more information on the Islanders volleyball team throughout the season, check them out on Twitter (@IslandersVB) and on their Facebook page (Islanders Volleyball), and download the official Islanders Front Row app for scores, updates, live stats and live video of all Islanders events.
