HUNTSVILLE, Texas—For the fifth time this season, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was pushed to a fifth set as Sam Houston State built a 2-1 lead Thursday night inside Johnson Coliseum, but the Islanders dug deep and found a way to rally back for a 17th consecutive victory.
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For the Islanders (27-4, 15-0), the magic number of the evening was 15. Morgan Carlson and Ivy Baresh led the attack with 15 kills on the night, while the defense produce a season-high 15 blocks. It all added up to the Islanders' 15th Southland Conference win, with one match remaining in the regular season.
"Incredible match tonight," said head coach Tony Graystone. "I'm so proud of our effort and how we rose up after dropping the third set to take control of the match. We were definitely fighting ourselves, but we regrouped and got back on track just in time.
"Our block was so good and offensively we were very clean. It was just a matter of fixing our passing and defending Sam Houston's middles. We were tested big time tonight, and we overcame a lot to earn this win."
After marching through the first set for a 25-14 win, the Islanders fell on hard times as Sam Houston State (12-17, 6-9) turned the tables with a comfortable victory in the second set. A very tight second set saw the Islanders rally from 24-20 to tie it up at 24-24, but the Bearkats reeled off the next two points after a timeout to take a 2-1 advantage.
BLOCK PARTY
As is often the case with the Islanders, it was the defense which turned the tide in Huntsville. The Islanders climbed the ladder for a season high 15 blocks led by Madeleine Doud who had a solo block along with nine block assists. Doud was a part of the culminating 15th block as she and Carlson turned back a Jordyn Vaughn attack for the match point.
• Doud's 10 blocks are a career high for the sophomore.
• The 15 blocks are the most by any Islanders team since Oct. 12, 2012, a 37-month span.
• Carlson finished with five blocks while Brittany Gilpin, Kelsee Felux and Kristyn Nicholson all added four blocks.
SWINGING MOMENTUM
Needing a victory in the fourth set to stay alive, the Islanders produced a massive run to wrest away ever-valuable momentum heading int the fifth set. With the match tied at 4-4, the Islanders went on a 16-6 run to double up the Bearkats at 20-10. The blue and green never took their foot off the gas, producing a 6-2 run in the fifth set to establish an 8-4 advantage. The Islanders would go on to take the final set 15-8 after a 7-2 run to clinch the match.
KLEPETKA MATCHES DIGS HIGH
Sophomore libero Kate Klepetka matched her career high with 36 digs Thursday night. The total equaled Klepetka's effort in the Islanders last five set match, a victory over Stephen F. Austin.
Sitting second in the nation with a 6.04 digs per set average, Klepetka will close the gap to the leader after averaging better than seven digs a set in Thursday's win.
KEY STATS
• The Islanders held SHSU to a negative-.043 hitting percentage in the decisive fifth set.
• Nicholson finished the match with 51 assists and 13 digs for her 11th double-double of the season.
• Both Gilpin and Doud finished the match with eight kills.
WRAPPING UP THE SEASON
The Islanders will conclude the regular season Saturday afternoon at Lamar, whom the Islanders defeated 3-0 earlier this season.
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.
