Volleyball team wins fourth straight

The A&M-Commerce volleyball team extended their winning streak to four games, beating Tarleton State University 3-2 on Saturday, Oct. 9. The victory was the Lions first in Lone Star Conference play, and pushes them to a 7-10 (1-5) record.

The Lions started game one with the lead. It quickly became a back and forth battle with six lead changes and a tied score twelve times. With the Lions up 23-22, Tarleton called a timeout, and after a quick talk with A&M-Commerce Head Coach Craig Case, the Lions took the first game 25-23.

Using momentum from game one, the Lions gained a five point advantage in game two, maintaining the lead until the TexAnn's rallied to tie the score 20-20. However, the Lions persevered and won the second game 25-21.

Game three went in a different direction and Tarleton took control. Led by Rachel Wolf, who had 14 kills and 16 digs, Tarleton quickly extended their lead over the Lions. After trailing the entire match, the Lions lost 25-13.

The fourth game appeared to be on a more even keel until Tarleton gave itself some breathing room with a 7-3 start and continued to build that lead, winning the match 25-15. Tarleton's defense made a significant impact, with 7 blocks and 68 digs.

"I had concerns because we looked really tired," Case said. "Not that we were playing lazy, but I was worried about us just being too tired."

The Lions started with a 4-0 lead in the final game. The TexAnn's used both of their timeouts early on to try to slow the momentum, but the strategy was ineffective as the Lions clinched a 15-11 victory.

Freshman Kayla Bond, who had two kills, said she was glad to have gotten this crucial win.

"It was good, intense and scary at some points, but we really needed it," Bond said.

Coach Case commented that he "felt blessed to have a great crowd supporting the team." He also attributed much of the team's success to Ciara Holmes, whom he called "a special player," and Rachel Robertson, who had 16 kills.

A&M-Commerce will start a four-game road trip with a non-conference match against Southern Arkansas on Oct. 11 and an Oct. 14 trip to Central Oklahoma.