Arlington, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team opened the 2015 season with a 3-0 victory against Grambling State. The Islanders used a squad consisting primarily of younger players to pick up a victory in the opening match for the second straight season.
"I felt that we had a good start," said head coach Tony Graystone. "We played clean, kept our errors down and got all of our hitters involved. I was very happy with Madeleine Doud and Morgan Williams in the middle. They were very active and scored a lot of points. Hannah van Warmerdam had a great first collegiate match on the outside."
Sophomore Madeleine Doud led the way for the Islanders with 12 kills and hitting .706. Freshman Hannah van Warmerdam picked up seven kills in the first two games, before securing two more kills in the final set.
In the first set, the Islanders secured the victory by a score of 25-6. A&M-Corpus Christi jumped out to quick 17-3 lead, which proved too much for the Lady Tigers to overcome.
The Islanders came out in the second set with the same amount of focus, picking up 11 kills and four aces. Defensively, Graystone's squad forced Grambling State in to several attack errors through constant pressure at the net.
The third set added more pressure from Grambling State, but the Islanders withstood a four-point run, before finishing the match behind an assisted block from Doud and Kirstee McGarva.
Morgan Williams added five kills, while McGarva and Mallory Moran contributed with three kills apiece.
The Islanders face Campbell College tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., before playing the hosts, UT-Arlington, at 7 p.m.
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.
