Islanders Rally in Four-Set Victory Over ACU

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball rallied after dropping a tight first set, rattling off three-straight set decisions en route to a 3-1 comeback and its first Southland victory of the season against Abilene Christian in a Saturday matinee at Dugan Wellness Center.

Rachel Young led the Islander attack charge with 13 kills while Faith Panhans notched a big double-double with career-high marks of 11 kills and 39 assists. Chloe Simon's 10 kills completed the double-figure trio while Carissa Barnes totaled 21 digs.

The Islanders were tested early by ACU, as the Wildcats clawed their way out of an early deficit as a 3-0 run midway through the set knotted the ledger for the first of seven times in the opening period. Both teams traded blows in the see-saw contest, but the Wildcats mounted a late surge with four of the final five points to seize the match advantage.

Another back-and-forth affair followed the opening act, as neither team led by more than three until the midway point as a Chloe Simon kill and Faith Panhans service ace built a five-point cushion for the home squad. ACU cut the edge to four late, but this time it would be the Islanders to mount a charge and even it at one apiece on a 25-16 match win.

It would be all Islanders from there, as the home squad raced out to a 9-3 lead punctuated by a Simon and Sam Dumity block followed by another 6-0 spark to complete a lopsided 25-13 decision and hold the Wildcats to a .167 attack percentage.

ACU kept on the Islanders' heels in the final stanza, never trailing by more than three before A&M-Corpus Christi engineered a decisive run with a pair of monster kills from Simon and a Carissa Barnes' service ace to wrap up the Southland showdown in the Islanders favor.

The Islanders test the road waters with a four-game league stretch starting at Northwestern State on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
 
Notes

• A&M-Corpus Christi registered its highest attack percentage (.571) during the third-set win as the Islanders totaled 13 kills while producing only one error.
• Rachel Young led the Islander attack charge with 13 kills while Faith Panhans notched a big double-double with 11 kills and 39 assists. Chloe Simon's 10 kills completed the double-figure trio while Carissa Barnes totaled 21 digs.
• The Islanders held ACU's offense in check, holding the Wildcats to .062 and .167 hitting percentages in crucial second and third-set victories.

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