SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary's University Volleyball team evened its record in conference play with a sweep against Texas A&M International on Friday night, 25-22, 25-22, 25-14.
The Rattlers (10-6, 3-3) used a balanced attack to keep the Dustdevils (7-10, 1-5) off kilter, with five of the six starters getting either four or five kills, while graduate student
Laurene Robinson (Bedford, Texas) led the match with 16 kills.
The two middle blockers, senior
Olivia Rubio (San Antonio) and
Madyson Carr (Houston) each collected five kills with only one hitting error, while senior
Haleigh Wilk (Salado, Texas),
Taylor Alston (San Antonio) and
Tara Creekmore (Canton, Mich.) each had four kills.
Carr led the match with four blocks, and junior libero
Kaylee Cavazos was everywhere on the floor, recording 17 digs, while Creekmore had a match-high three aces.
The Rattlers used a pair of four-point scoring runs to erase a two-point deficit and take a four-point lead, 17-13, a lead they never relinquished, winning 25-22.
TAMIU led by as many as five in the second set, 11-6, but the Rattlers chipped away, using a five-point run with freshman
Emerson Chang (Pearland, Texas) at the service line to take their first lead at 21-20, and they scored the final three points off a kill by Robinson, a Carr kill and a big block by Carr and Creekmore.
There were several ties early in the final set until 6-6 when StMU scored five of the next six points and forced the Dustdevils into a timeout. The Rattlers kept their foot on the gas pedal, winning 25-14 for their first sweep in conference play.
St. Mary's hosts Texas A&M-Kingsville in a rematch from the Javelina Classic on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Bill Greehey Arena. Fans are reminded not to linger after the conclusion of the match, as the campus will lock down the exits for a 5K beginning at 5 p.m. The Javelinas were swept by St. Edward's on Friday evening.
