NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana –Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team came up short on Saturday, dropping 3-1 to New Orleans at the Human Performance Center.
Other than a 25-12 second set victory, the Islanders (7-18, 7-4) couldn't remain in control and fell 25-15, 25-19 and 25-20 in sets one, three and four to New Orleans (13-10, 7-4), who are undefeated at home this year.
The Islanders earned 55 kills as a team, with sophomore
Kyndal Payne turning in the match-high 25 kills along with seven digs. Sophomore
Leah Stolfus also turned in double-digits with 11 kills and was the only Islander to record a solo block in the match. Freshman
Tayah Little recorded a .438 hitting percentage off eight kills.
Seniors
Carissa Barnes and
Faith Panhans were also match leaders, as Barnes recorded 18 digs and Panhans tallied 42 assists. Barnes has been the dig-leader in every conference match this season.
"New Orleans played really well and kept attacking our weaknesses all match long," said head coach
Steve Greene. "Being successful in a match takes adaptations and individual effort to make plays, and unfortunately we missed some of those opportunities today."
Set one had the Islanders up 6-3 off a service ace by Stolfus before a 5-0 run by New Orleans propelled the Privateers ahead 8-6. A kill by Little tied the score at 8-all, but New Orleans went on three different 4-0 runs to remain ahead the rest of the way, taking the opening set 25-16 to go up 1-0.
Back-to-back kills by Stolfus got things rolling in the second for a quick 2-0 A&M-Corpus Christi lead. New Orleans tied the score up at 9-all, but nine kills by Payne fueled a 15-3 run to the end by the Islanders for a 25-12 victory in the second to even the match 1-1.
Payne accounted for A&M-Corpus Christi's first three points of the third set with three kills. Despite this, New Orleans took an early 5-3 lead and never gave it up. The Islanders contested the lead with a 4-0 run off kills by Panhans and Payne to bring them back within four at the 21-17 mark, but New Orleans was able to close out a 25-19 win and go up 2-1.
Set four was the closest of the match, with the neither team leading by more than five points. Kills by Little kept the Islanders up 9-8 with a kill by Stolfus extending it to 10-8 before New Orleans took over 15-13. Kills by Payne and freshman
Zoria Heard brought the Islanders within one twice, but A&M-Corpus Christi couldn't take back a lead as set four and the match ended in favor of New Orleans 25-21.
The match was only the second time in the all-time record New Orleans defeated A&M-Corpus Christi, as the Islanders lead it now 11-2.
"Our competitive drive to win this week was not where it had been the last couple of weeks. We will be working through some things and practice and we look forward to being back home in the Dugan Wellness Center next week," Greene said.
The Islanders will compete at home next week, facing both Texas A&M-Commerce and Northwestern State for the second time this season, with A&M-Corpus Christi earning victories against both in the previous matches.
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