KINGSVILLE, Texas — For the second time in two weeks, the St. Mary's University Volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to open a tournament, getting reverse-swept by Minnesota State Moorhead on Thursday evening at the Javelina Invitational, 25-12, 25-23, 24-26, 22-25, 13-15.
The Rattlers (3-2) will attempt to replicate their first-week results by winning the final three matches of the tournament, as they face Findlay, Montana State Billings and Texas A&M-Kingsville over the next two days.
St. Mary's was extremely efficient in the match, hitting a school record .306 for a five-set match, becoming the first Rattler team to hit over 300 when going the distance. Senior setter
Haleigh Wilk (Salado, Texas) found the hot hands through most of the match, as graduate student
Laurene Robinson (Bedford, Texas) recorded a career-high 26 kills, while sophomore outside hitter
Tara Creekmore (Canton, Mich.) totaled a career-high 15 kills and hit .400 (15-3-30), narrowly missing her first double-double with nine digs.
Junior
Kaylee Cavazos (San Antonio) did record the first double-double of her career, posting 18 digs and 10 assists, while Wilk notched the 12th double-double of her career and first this year with 45 assists and 17 digs.
Senior
Olivia Rubio (San Antonio) tied her career-high and led the match with six blocks, as the Rattlers out-blocked the Dragons, 9-to-7.
Four different Rattlers had two aces each in Robinson, junior
Taylor Alston (San Antonio), senior
Addison Carrillo (San Antonio) and freshman
Julianna Guajardo (San Juan, Texas), who saw the first action of her career in the match.
St. Mary's played its first extra-point set of the year, dropping a 26-24 decision in the third set, sparking the Dragons' (4-2) comeback. Four of the five sets were decided by two or three points, as MSUM fought back after getting doubled up in the first set, 25-12.
The Rattlers return to the SPEC on Friday, facing Findlay at 10:30 a.m. and Montana State Billings at 5:30 p.m.
News & Notes:
- The 71 kills by St. Mary's are tied for the fifth-most in a five-set match in the 25-point rally-scoring era. They go along with the school record .306 hitting percentage for a five-set match in the Division II era.
- Four different Rattlers have recorded double-doubles through five matches this season as both Haleigh Wilk and Kaylee Cavazos tallied double figures in assists and digs on Thursday.
- All 11 players who entered the match collected at least one dig.
- Minnesota State Moorhead is the first opponent this season to hit over .200 in a match against the Rattlers this season, connecting at a .223 pace.
