LAREDO, Texas – Despite a stellar night from junior middle blocker
Julia Deais, the St. Mary's Volleyball team was unable to come up with a victory at Texas A&M International, dropping a four-set match 20-25, 25-19, 19-25, 22-25.
In the third of four matches this season against the Dust Devils (2-5, 2-5 Lone Star Conference), the Rattlers' (2-3, 2-3 Lone Star) Deais (San Antonio) notched a season-best 12 kills on a strong .435 (12-2-23) hitting percentage, led the team with six blocks and had two digs.
Fellow junior OH
Alissa Tolbert (San Antonio) recorded her fifth-straight double-double with a team-best 14 kills and 13 digs, while freshman setter
Aislan Lennon (Houston) posted her fourth double-double in five matches, leading the team with 17 digs and recording a season-high 39 assists. Senior libero
Catherine Cruz (San Antonio) and freshman DS
Isabella Dena (San Antonio) also totaled double digits in digs with 14 and 11, respectively. Junior MB/RS
Rachel McDonald (Indianapolis, Ind.) came off the bench to notch a season-best four blocks.
Uncharacteristically, the Rattlers struggled from the service line recording just two aces with six errors on the evening. In the first four matches of the year, StMU totaled at least six aces and had a better than 1:1 ratio of aces to errors. The team did have a season-high 12 blocks in the match, totaling double figures for the first time in 2021.
After scoring the first point of the match, the Rattlers never led the first set again, trailing by as many as seven at 19-12. At 24-17, the Rattlers scored three straight – including a kill by Lennon to close within four, but after a Dust Devil timeout they got the final kill for the 25-20 win.
Deais took over in the second set, recording five kills and four blocks and she was at the service line for the final three points as the Rattlers won 25-19.
The Dust Devils scored the first four points of the third set and never looked back, winning 25-19. At one point, the Rattlers trailed by nine, 13-4, but they scored eight of the next 10 points to cut the deficit to three, 15-12. Tolbert and Martinez each had two kills during the run, but StMU was unable to get any closer.
The fourth set went back-and-forth with 12 ties and seven lead changes before the Dust Devils managed to score five of the final six points for the win. Freshman
Mia Martinez (Orlando, Fla.) did her best to help the Rattlers with five kills on nine swings and no errors in the final stanza.
The two teams conclude the season series on Wednesday in Laredo. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER & TEAM NOTES
- Junior Alissa Tolbert recorded her fifth-straight double-double to start the season with 14 kills and 13 digs. With a double-double on Wednesday, Tolbert will tie the school's Division II record for consecutive double-doubles to begin a season as Breann Alexander had six straight to start 2002.
- Junior Julia Deais posted a season-high 12 kills and was one off her career-high with six blocks in the match. It is the second time this year she's recorded double figures in kills and the .435 hitting percentage was also a season-best mark.
- Freshman Hailey Harmon (San Antonio) saw her first collegiate action, playing one set and getting two attacks and a block assist.
- Freshman Aislan Lennon also recorded a double-double with a career-high 39 assists and career-high tying 17 digs. It is her third-straight double-double and fourth of the season.
- St. Mary's totaled a season-best 12.0 total blocks on the night. It is the first time in 2021 the team has hit double digits in that category.
