Mustangs Too Much

DALLAS – Brittany Gilpin produced her second double-double of the weekend but it was not enough for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to keep pace with hot-hitting SMU in a 3-0 defeat Saturday afternoon.
 
Gilpin finished with 10 kills and 10 digs, but SMU hit .363 as team with four players with double-digit kills to down the Islanders.
 
A slow start in the first set Put the Islanders in a 6-2 hole early on. The Blue and Green clawed back within 10-8, but SMU answered with 4-1 run to create distance. The Mustangs went on to win the set 25-15 thanks to a .366 hitting percentage.
 
A pair of blocks from Mallory Moran and Rachel Young put the Blue and Green in prime position to level the match in the second. With a 7-3 lead, the Islanders seemed in control, maintaining the advantage all the way to 19-15 in the set. The Mustangs, however, closed on a 10-4 run to rally all the way back for a 25-23 victory.
 
In the third, another slow start buried the Islanders in a 10-5 deficit. Slowly, but surely, the Blue and Green chipped away as Mallory Moran floored six of her 10 kills in the set. Her final kill brought the Islanders within one at 17-16, SMU claimed five of the next six points to ice the match.
 
THE NUMBERS
 
>> Gilpin and Moran both finished with 10 kills to lead the Islanders
>> Kristyn Nicholson led the team by hitting .600 with six kills
>> Freshman Chloe Thorpe saw her first significant action with three kills on seven swings
>> Young finished with five kills and four blocks
 
UP NEXT
 
The Islanders will head to Michigan next weekend where the Blue and Green face Michigan State, San Diego State and Marshall.