Klepetka Breaks Record as Islanders Roll Past UIW

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – As libero Kate Klepetka shattered the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi all-time digs record, the Islanders swept past University of the Incarnate Word 25-22, 25-14, 25-19 inside the Dugan Wellness Center Saturday afternoon.
 
For a second consecutive match, the Islanders (16-7, 11-0) were clicking on all cylinders offensively as the Blue and Green produced the second-highest hitting percentage in program history at .430. The Islanders committed just five total errors on the day en route to the massive offensive performance.
 
"Any time you hit over .400 it's going to be hard to beat you," said head coach Steve Greene. "We were really controlled, just stuck to our game plan and didn't play outside our range. Basically, what they gave us was what we tried to attack and I thought we executed really well."
 
Brittany Gilpin led the attack with 14 kills, hitting .433 on the day. The junior's first kill was ceremonious as it marked her 266th of the season, the most for Gilpin in a single season on the Island. By the end of the day, she was up to 279 as the outside continues to set the tone offensively for the Blue and Green.
 
With Gilpin flying high on the outside, Madi Fitzsimmons caught fire in the middle to pummel 12 kills and hit a whopping .667. The sophomore was perfect on the day as she did not commit a single error in attack. On the right, Morgan Carlson knocked down 11 kills while hitting .500 to give the Islanders a ferocious three-headed attack.
 
"One of the things we've been working on the last couple of weeks in practice is to have more than just your traditional shot," said Greene. "We challenged them to take away what your easy shot is, because that's what teams are going to do down the stretch as they get more video and scout better. We've got to open up our game more and I thought Fitzsimmons, Gilpin and Carlson all did a really good job of that today. All three were really looking at the court and seeing spots they could score in."
 
SECOND SET PERFECTION
 
After hitting an impressive .375 in the first, the Islanders took their offensive game to another level in the second. The Blue and Green hit .552 as a team, while the Cardinals were left to wonder where the ball was going next.
 
Even more impressive, the Islanders never allowed UIW to score a point on a Cardinal serve in the second. A&M-Corpus Christi produced a side-out on each of the 15 serves it faced. The result was a 25-14 rout in the set.
 
KLEPETKA SHATTERS RECORD
 
While not a massive day for the Islander libero, it is one Klepetka will likely remember for a long time. The junior amassed 13 digs on the afternoon to break the school record for career digs.
 
In just three seasons, Klepetka has climbed to the top of the Islanders record book, now with 1,591 career digs. The previous record was 1,584 set by Micah Nolan.
 
"I really wasn't aware of the record until last game," said Klepetka. "To do it in three years, it's a dream and everything I could ever ask for. Now it's time to shoot higher."
 
FAST FACTS
 
• Setter Kristyn Nicholson dished out 44 assists in three sets. She finished five assists shy of the school record.
• Nicholson also dug 10 Cardinal attacks for her eighth double-double of the year.
• The Islanders averaged 17 kills per set Saturday, a season high for the Blue and Green.
• Mallory Moran added eight kills to the high-powered attack.
 
BACK-TO-BACK
 
The Islanders turn around and make a return trip to San Antonio Tuesday to face off with UIW for a second-consecutive match. It begins a three-match week as the Islanders will host McNeese and Nicholls over the weekend.