HAMMOND, Louisiana – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team is headed back to the Southland Conference Championship, earning a thrilling 3-1(25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 25-17) victory over No. 3 SFA in the semifinals Saturday at the University Center to secure their spot in the title match for the second consecutive year.
The victory came after a challenge earlier this season, with the Islanders having fallen to SFA in a four-set loss in Nacogdoches. Historically, SFA leads the all-time series 20-9, with the last matchup between the two teams prior to this season taking place in 2021, but today got the Islanders over the hump coming at the perfect time.
It was the fourth time these two teams met in the postseason, with the Islanders evening that head-to-head 2-2.
Senior
Kyndal Payne delivered a dominant performance, finishing with 23 kills and 18 digs. She was backed up by seniors
Leah Stolfus and
Rylee Achtzehn, who both contributed 13 kills apiece. As a team, the Islanders posted an impressive .250 hitting percentage, outhitting the Lumberjacks who finished at .164.
Defensively, the Islanders were rock solid at the net, registering seven total blocks between Payne, junior Kaitlynn Baumann, and senior
Tori Arrington. Redshirt Freshman
Brooklyn Jaeger was a standout in the back row, recording 21 digs, just eight shy of her career-high 29 digs, and providing key support throughout the match with help from senior
Kendall Mahaney who ended with 14 digs.
The Islanders set the tone early with strong defensive play, including an early block from Arrington that helped build momentum. Stolfus provided a spark, tallying six kills in the opening set. With defense heating up and two more key blocks, the Islanders built a significant lead, closing out the first set 25-16.
SFA came out strong in the second set, challenging the Islanders at every turn. A back-and-forth battle ensued, with the Lumberjacks pulling ahead 21-20, prompting the Islanders to call a timeout. The break proved effective as the Islanders responded with two quick points, regaining the lead and forcing SFA to call their own timeout. Payne led the way with 12 kills and 10 digs, as the Islanders took the set 25-23.
The Lumberjacks carried the momentum into the third set, capturing a 25-20 victory. After a tight start, the Islanders battled back to tie the set at 17-17, forcing SFA to take a timeout. Despite the push, the Lumberjacks regained control to take the third set.
With the match hanging in the balance, the Lumberjacks jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the fourth set prompting an early timeout for the Islanders. The break was exactly what the Islanders needed as they battled back, going on a 17-7 run to take a commanding 17-12 lead, forcing SFA to call a timeout of their own. Payne and Achtzehn carried the offense, while Baumann and the Islanders' defense at the net provided the spark to finish strong, taking the fourth set 25-17 sealing the match.
With the win, the Islanders advance to the SLC Championship match, where they will face the winner of No. 1 Southeastern/No. 5 UIW. The final is set for tomorrow at 3 p.m. where they will look to complete some unfinished business after falling in the finals last season and get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
Today marked A&M-Corpus Christi's 11
th trip to a semifinal, now holding a 7-4 record in the penultimate round of the SLC Tournament making tomorrow their seventh trip to the finals. They are 16-7 all-time in the postseason conference tournament.
SLC Finals // No. 1 Southeastern vs. No. 2 A&M-Corpus Christi
Date: Sunday, November 24
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: University Center // Hammond, LA
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