Lions lose 3-2 in Tarleton State

STEPHENVILLE, Texas –A&M-Commerce took two of the first three sets against Tarleton State and was serving for match point in the fifth, but the Lions couldn't hold on, dropping a heartbreaking 25-23, 17-25, 25-23, 19-25, 14-16 match to Tarleton State at Wisdom Gym South. The loss strikes a major blow to the Lions' postseason hopes, dropping A&M-Commerce to 10-16 on the season and 5-13 in Lone Star Conference play.

Three Lions recorded double-digit kill totals on the night, led by Breanne Snyder's 15 on 31 attempts with just four errors for a .355 hitting percentage to complement her eight digs. Rachel Robertson posted 14 kills with a .346 hitting percentage and a pair of aces while Ezon Onditi contributed 12 kills for A&M-Commerce.

Kayla Bond and Chelsee Hudson finished with seven kills each for the Lions with Bond leading A&M-Commerce with a pair of blocks – the team's only blocks on the night. Jordan Neal posted 48 assists with seven digs while Savanah Neal lead the squad with six digs on the night.

Trailing both A&M-Kingsville and Incarnate Word by a half game for eighth place heading into the night, A&M-Commerce was looking to pick up a big road conference victory. However, it was Tarleton that got on a roll early, racing out to a 9-4 lead in the first. But a 9-2 run put the Lions on top 13-11 as A&M-Commerce was able to maintain its lead on the TexAnns for the remainder of the set. Tarleton would pull to within one a handful of times, the last of which came at 24-23, but a kill from Hudson closed out the first with the 25-23 win.

The TexAnns build another lead early in the second, but this time were able to hold it, building an eight-point advantage at 18-10 and never looked back. The closest the Lions were able to get were within six at 20-14, but Tarleton closed out the set with the 25-17 decision, tying the match at 1-1 at the break.

Set three played out in similar fashion to the opener as the Lions used an extended run in the opening half of the set to build a 13-10 lead, then held that lead down the stretch. Leading by five at 19-14, A&M-Commerce was able to hold off a late Tarleton run that closed the gap to one at 24-23, capped by a block by Bond to give the Lions the 25-23 victory in the third.

With sets one and three playing out nearly the same, so did sets two and four, highlighted by Tarleton building a substantial lead late at 22-17. A&M-Commerce tried to establish a run, getting to within three at 22-19, but the final three points of the set belonged to the TexAnns, taking the fourth 25-19 to force the decisive fifth set.

Tarleton looked as if the momentum gained in the fourth would carry them through the fifth, taking an 8-4 lead at the turn, then extending that advantage to six at 10-4. But with its postseason life on the line, A&M-Commerce responded with a 6-0 run, knotting the fifth at 10-10. After exchanging points, a service error by the TexAnns and a kill from Robertson had the Lions serving for match point at 14-13. But three-straight kills from Flynn Harrell doomed A&M-Commerce, closing out the set 16-14, handing the Lions the heartbreaking 3-2 defeat.

With the A&M-Commerce loss, coupled with a 3-2 victory by Texas A&M-Kingsville, the Javelinas move into sole possession of eighth-place in the Lone Star Conference standings with a 7-12 record. Incarnate Word moves to ninth at 6-13, with the Lions sitting 10^that 5-13.

Nikki McNorton led the way for Tarleton with 21 kills and four blocks with Harrell finishing with 17 kills, including the three at the end of the fifth that sealed the Lions' fate. Breawn Waynes recorded eight blocks up front for the TexAnns as Tarleton outblocked A&M-Commerce 14-2 on the night.

The Lions now close out the regular season with a pair of home matches at the Field House, beginning with 13 th-ranked West Texas A&M Thursday at 7 p.m. The 2011 season and home finale will then be Saturday at 2 p.m. when A&M-Commerce plays host to Eastern New Mexico.