TUCSON, Ariz. — The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team battled toe-to-toe early but couldn't sustain momentum against the hosts of the Wildcat Classic, falling in straight sets to Arizona 25-18, 25-19, 25-13 Saturday at the McKale Center.
The Islanders (0-2) showed flashes in each frame, clawing back from an early 6-2 deficit in the first set to tie it at 11-11 after senior
Katelyn Krienke, junior
Kenna Buchanan, and sophomore
Hadley Burger went to work on the attack aided with an ace by sophomore
Virginia Van Der Werff. However, Arizona (2-0) responded with a late 7-2 run to close the set at 25-18.
Set two saw A&M-Corpus Christi again pushing the Wildcats. Buchanan notched two early kills, and Van Der Werff followed with a putaway that gave the Islanders a 2-0 start. After trading blows in a set that featured nine ties, redshirt-sophomore
Ally Saleh's kill kickstarted a burst for the visitors that pulled them ahead at 9-8. Buchanan and Krienke kept the offense rolling with senior
Kaitlyn Baumann offering some action out of the middle, and the Islanders stayed tight with the Wildcats down 19-18 before Arizona surged, rattling off a 6-1 run to secure the frame.
Five different Islanders followed with quick strikes in the third, with Baumann and Krienke tag-teaming the middle to help build a 10-6 lead for the Islanders. But the Wildcats countered with a 9-0 stretch, taking control for a 25-13 final third set.
Buchanan paced the Islanders with eight kills and as many digs, while Baumann and Krienke chipped in seven apiece. The back line was distributed with four different Islanders picking up at least six digs. Behind Buchanan was redshirt sophomore
Brooklyn Jaeger and freshman
Kenrie Pruitt at seven each while Van Der Werff tallied six to go along with her 21 assists.
Krienke is the first Islanders to 20+ kills on the year, averaging 2.75 per set and leading with a .268 clip.
The Islanders close out their opening weekend at the Wildcat Classic on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT, facing Alabama State in their third match of the tournament.
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