CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball knocked off top-seeded and reigning Southland tournament champion Stephen F. Austin in dominant 3-0 sweep style in the Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament semifinal round Friday at Dugan Wellness Center.
The Islanders clicked on all cylinders, using a high-octane offense led once again by
Chloe Simon with nine kills combined with a stout defensive front that limited the Ladyjacks to a .061 hitting percentage and forced 22 errors.
A&M-Corpus Christi capitalized on SFA errors from the beginning, as seven of the Islanders' first 10 points resulted from visitor miscues. The Islanders flexed their offensive muscle with their next five points coming from kills as the home squad built a 17-12 lead. SFA managed to hack away at the deficit and eventually draw it within a 18-17 reach but two-straight kills from the dynamic duo of
Rachel Young and Simon kept the Islanders in control en route to a 25-20 set win.
The Islanders kept their foot on the gas and accelerated to a whopping 21-7 lead in the second thanks to an overpowering 15-2 outburst that saw nine kills from the home club. It was all Islanders from there as they cruised to the 25-13, second-set victory and 2-0 match lead that put the championship round in their sights.
Continuing to capitalize on SFA errors, A&M-Corpus Christi dug themselves out of an early 6-2 hole with four of their next seven points courtesy of visitor miscues to force a 9-9 tie. Both teams would level the score twice more before a
Julia Carter kill sparked a 6-0 Islander run that moved them ahead 18-13 in the late stages. SFA managed to get within three on two occasions but the Islanders thwarted any rally chances and sealed the final set by a 25-20 decision.
This marks the Islanders' third trip to the championship match in program history, as A&M-Corpus Christi claimed back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016.
A&M-Corpus Christi faces No. 2 Sam Houston in the Southland Conference Tournament Championship tomorrow (April 3) at 2 p.m. inside Dugan Wellness Center.
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