ALPINE, Texas – On match point in the final match of their careers, graduate students
Abbey Stiffler and
Laurene Robinson scored the final point in a fitting sendoff for the pair of St. Mary's University Volleyball student-athletes as they defeated Sul Ross State in four sets, 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-15.
Stiffler (York, Pa.) set the ball behind her to Robinson (Bedford, Texas) and she went cross court for the final kill, capping stellar five-year careers for both.
The Rattlers season ends with a 14-13 overall record and a mark of 7-10 in Lone Star Conference play. Sul Ross State finishes 1-26 overall and 1-16 in league play.
Robinson led the match with 17 kills, while Stiffler had five assists in the final set. Robinson also had a career-high 21 digs in her final match.
A big reason for the lopsided score in the fourth set was the Rattlers serving, as StMU went on an 11-point run with junior libero
Kaylee Cavazos (San Antonio) at the service line where she served five aces one rotation after junior
Taylor Alston (San Antonio) served three in a row with an ace. Alston added an ace in the second set and back-to-back aces in the third set for four on the day to tie her career-high, while Cavazos notched a career-best six in the match.
It is the ninth time this season the Rattlers have recorded double digits in aces. Cavazos also collected a career-high 29 digs.
Senior
Haleigh Wilk (Salado, Texas) posted a double-double in her final match, leading the match with 38 assists and adding 15 digs. The 104 digs are the most by the Gold and Blue this season.
Freshman
Madyson Carr (Houston) led the team with four blocks and added seven kills.
Robinson ends this season with 474 kills, which is the third-most in a single-season in St. Mary's history and is the most in the rally-scoring era. She finishes in seventh place in career kills with 1,132, one off Channing Hankins (2015-18) in sixth.
Wilk ends her career ranked seventh with 1,720 assists and her 986 this season ranks 14th. She also collected 97 service aces over her four years, which is the 15th most in StMU history.
The Rattlers say goodbye to Robinson, Stiffler, Wilk,
Addison Carrillo (San Antonio)
Madi Milligan (San Antonio),
Olivia Rubio (San Antonio), and
Kelly Swyers (Austin, Texas).
