CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – 14 aces, including six in the second set helped Texas A&M-Corpus Christi turn the tide in a comeback victory over UTRGV in the South Texas Showdown presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union.
The Islanders (3-4) were knocked on their heels in the first set as UTRGV (2-5) hit .462 to take the frame 25-14. From there, it was all Blue and Green as Corpus Christi reeled off 25-22, 25-17, 25-15 sets for the 3-1 victory.
Junior
Mallory Moran had a massive day in attack, knocking down 12 kills with just a pair of errors to hit .435. Her hitting percentage led all players in the match and marked a season-best for the outside hitter.
Brittany Gilpin joined Moran in double-digit kills with a team-leading 13. She also added a career-best three aces at the service line.
ALL ABOUT THAT ACE
Make no mistake, the Islanders flipped the match from the service line as the Blue and Green produced an eye-popping 14 aces in four sets. The tally marked the most aces in a four-set match since the Blue and Green racked up 18 against Texas Southern in 2005.
The second set opened with an ace from Moran and ended with the sixth of the set from
Madison Woods. Stuck in the middle, a span of three-consecutive aces from Gilpin. The impeccable serving allowed the Islanders to overcome just an .097 hitting percentage in the frame.
The tough serving continued as five different Islanders racked up multiple aces on the night.
>> Gilpin and
Madison Green set career highs with three aces apiece
>> Woods,
Kristyn Nicholson and freshman
Emily Hubacek all added a pair of aces
MAL INTENT
Tuesday proved an awakening for
Mallory Moran as the junior produced her best game of the season with 12 kills. 10 of those kills came in the second, third and fourth sets as Moran helped drive the Islanders to victory.
Finishing the night hitting .435, Moran set a new career high for hitting percentage.
DON'T FORGET DEFENSE
After UTRGV hit .462 in the opening set, the Islanders held the Vaqueros to just .159 the rest of the match. That included stifling UTRGV to just .088 in the third and .143 in the decisive fourth.
Madison Green once again proved her versatility, providing six points offensively, including a pair of block assists. Green's biggest impact may have come in the back row where she led the match with 12 digs. The dozen digs marked a career best for Green, who has shown she is much more than just a setter.
Madison Woods added nine digs to the fold and rookie
Camryn Tucker dug up another seven, all coming in the final two sets.
The Islanders also added a season-best 12 blocks in the victory.
Madeleine Doud led the way with a pair of solo stuffs and two more block assists.
Morgan Williams was part of four rejections and
Chloe Simon in on three as eight different Islanders recorded a block.
GOLIATHS AWAIT
The Islanders now face a monumental challenge at the American Campus Classic hosted by Texas on Thursday and Friday. The Blue and Green will face No. 5 Texas on Thursday at noon before turning around and challenging the No. 1 team in the nation, Minnesota, at 5 p.m.
All games this week will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network. Check your local cable listings for channel information.
