CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team will finally make their return to the NCAA Tournament after shocking No. 1 Southeastern in a 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-19) decision Sunday at the University Center to win the 2024 Southland Conference Tournament.
It was sweet revenge for the Islanders (19-10), who returned the favor after Southeastern (26-5) was able to best them last year in the conference finals in Corpus Christi. They also had the honor of snapping the nation's longest winning streak, handing the Lady Lions their first loss since Sept. 5 earlier this year and their first loss to a conference opponent since the 2023 season.
It is the first time Southeastern has been swept by a conference opponent since 2022, and first to be swept at home since 2021.
The Islanders went 9-1 in sets over the tournament, securing the program's first title since 2021 when the program won both the regular season and tournament championships. It marks their eighth overall championship and sixth under head coach
Steve Greene.
A&M-Corpus Christi pressed on Southeastern, racing out to a lead in the first set. Senior
Kyndal Payne netted back-to-back kills and suddenly the Islanders had a 19-14 lead. An ace from graduate
Alex Hoglund saw that lead balloon to a 23-15 margin and they would close out the set 25-19.
A similar story played out in the second. Senior
Tori Arrington, who impressed in her own right, helped the Islanders construct a 5-1 lead to force a Southeastern timeout. The Lions would not come closer than two points and A&M-Corpus Christi led by as many as eight in a set they took 25-20.
The Islanders would not let up in the final frame. A&M-Corpus Christi posted a nine-point lead midway through when Arrington downed another kill to put her team up 15-6. Senior
Leah Stolfus would get the final kill 25-19 to end the match.
The Islanders ended 19-3 this year when hitting above .200. They kept the regular season champions to just a .183 hitting clip.
Following the conclusion of the match, graduate
Alex Hoglund was named the Southland Conference Tournament MVP after dishing out 45 assists in the three-set finale. She averaged 15.40 assists/set over the tournament and ran the offense to a combined .310 team hitting percentage.
Arrington led the Islanders with 13 kills in today's championship match while Payne and Stolfus neared double figures with nine kills apiece. Jaeger ended with a match-high 37 digs, setting her career high as well as the program record for most digs by an individual in a three-set match after topping the previous best of 32 set by Katie Kleptka vs. UTRGV (9/11/15).
The Islanders will now wait to see where they will be headed for the NCAA Tournament next Sunday in the selection show at 5 p.m. CT.
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