RICHARDSON, Texas – Competing in the opening match of the 2015 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament, the East Texas Baptist University volleyball team fell in straight sets against Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) on Thursday, 19-25, 23-25, 24-26. ETBU is now 21-6 and will play an elimination match on Friday.
In a match that paired up the ASC East Division No. 2 seed with the ASC West Division No. 3 seed, ETBU and Hardin-Simmons were neck and neck in set one as late as 14-14 after a Hardin-Simmons service error. Hardin-Simmons claimed four-straight points to assume an 18-14 edge, and later sealed the opening set on a kill, 25-19. In set one, Hardin-Simmons had a .194 attack percentage and ETBU posted a team attacking percentage of .094.
During the second set, ETBU trailed early, but came within a pair of points, 12-10, following a Hardin-Simmons attacking error. After a 5-1 Hardin-Simmons spurt, however, ETBU fell behind by a 17-11 margin. Still trailing later on at 21-14, ETBU nabbed seven-of-eight points to draw within a point of Hardin-Simmons, 22-21. Not to be outdone, Hardin-Simmons secured the decisive point on another kill, 25-23. Set two saw both teams hit over .400 as ETBU had a .419 attack percentage and Hardin-Simmons posted a team attack rate of .483.
The third and final set featured lower attacking percentages for both teams but also some closely-contested action. After an attacking error by Hardin-Simmons knotted the action at 21-21, the teams traded the subsequent six points to put the action at 24-24. Hardin-Simmons secured the final two points of the match with a kill and block making it 26-24. In set three, ETBU hit .111, and Hardin-Simmons posted a .220 attack rate.
For the match, Mallory Sanders led all players with 15 kills to go along with six digs. Reighanna Guzman contributed 19 assists for ETBU, while Adaeze Elonu chipped in eight kills. For Hardin-Simmons, Morgan Prince had a match-high 30 assists as well as four service aces. Pirkey totaled a dozen kills, while Corrie Hall finished with 10 kills and four total blocks.
ETBU competes in an elimination match on Friday, 2:30 p.m., against an opponent yet to be determined.
