AUSTIN, Texas – Ending the regular season with two wins in Austin, No. 18 East Texas Baptist University (21-5) came away with victories over the University of St. Thomas Texas, 3-0, and Concordia University Texas, 3-2. ETBU has now won nine matches in a row as they head into post season.
Below are the recaps from today's games.
ETBU 3, UST 0
ETBU extended their win streak to 8 games, as the Tigers defeated St. Thomas (TX) (5-15) 3-0. ETBU closed the third set on a 9-0 run and won all three sets with a 25-19 advantage. The Tigers also held a 43-23 advantage in kills.
Lara Hornsby led ETBU with 17 kills and 19 points, adding 15 digs for another double-double.
Anita Hancock posted seven kills and a team-high five blocks, including three solo blocks.
Sydney Temple finished with a team-best 18 assists and four digs.
Sadie Kasowski collected 13 digs and added four assists.
The Tigers turned the first set around after falling behind 13-9, winning seven of the next eight rallies to take the lead 16-14.
Heidi Wilson served four straight points during that stretch, with Hornsby,
McKinzie Riley and Hancock involved in blocks that helped pull ETBU even and ahead.
Katherine Server put ETBU at set point with a kill, and Hancock's block closed out a 25-19 set win.
ETBU created the key separation in the second set with a five-point service turn from Server, moving from a 7-4 lead to 11-4.
Allison Sims had back-to-back kills from
Claire Stewart during that stretch, and the Tigers stayed in front from there. Hornsby finished the set with a kill from Kasowski for a 25-19 ETBU win.
The Tigers erased a 19-16 deficit in the third set and scored the final nine points to take it 25-19. Server's kill started the closing stretch, and she then served eight straight points as Hornsby added four kills and Hancock had two kills before Riley and Hancock combined on the block that ended the set.
SET BREAKDOWN
First Set
- After early ties at five and eight, St. Thomas (TX) moved ahead 13-9 with help from several kills and ETBU attack errors.
- ETBU answered behind Wilson's serve, winning four straight points to move in front 14-13, then pushed the advantage to 16-14.
- The Tigers stayed ahead through the closing stretch, with Sims and Server adding kills before Hancock's block closed the 25-19 set win.
Second Set
- ETBU opened with kills from Riley and Hornsby, then used Server's serving turn to stretch a 7-4 lead to 11-4 with back-to-back Sims kills in the run.
- St. Thomas (TX) cut into the margin in short bursts, but the Tigers kept separation with kills from Ava Bobnar, Hornsby and Hancock before moving ahead 20-12.
- St. Thomas (TX) pulled as close as 23-19 late, but a service error gave ETBU set point, and Hornsby finished the 25-19 set with a kill from Kasowski.
Third Set
- ETBU traded points with St. Thomas (TX) through the middle of the set, with kills from Server, Hornsby and Bobnar helping the visitors move in front 16-15.
- St. Thomas (TX) scored the next four points, all on ETBU attack errors, to take a 19-16 lead.
- Server answered with a kill to start a 9-0 ETBU finish, then served through the closing stretch as Hornsby and Hancock added kills and Riley and Hancock combined on the final block for a 25-19 set win.
ETBU Top Performers
Lara Hornsby
- team-high 17 kills
- team-high 15 digs
- team-high 19 points
- one service ace
Anita Hancock
- seven kills
- team-high five blocks, including three solo
- 11 points
Sydney Temple
- team-high 18 assists
- four digs
Claire Stewart
- 15 assists
- eight digs
ETBU 3, CTX 2
ETBU (21-5) won their second match of the day and ninth in a row defeating Concordia University Texas (10-13) 3-2. The Tigers finished with 63 kills and a .236 hitting percentage, compared with 52 kills and a .150 mark for Concordia (TX).
Hornsby finished with 24 kills, 28.5 points, 14 digs, two aces, and three blocks for two double-doubles on the day. Kasowski added 23 digs, 14 assists, and two aces for a double-double. Stewart posted 23 assists and nine digs while adding two kills. Server tallied seven kills, four blocks, and 10.5 points.
In set one, ETBU worked back from a 17-11 deficit to cut the gap to 19-17, with
Ava Bobnar and Server contributing kills during the push.
Sydney Temple's ace made it 20-19, and Hornsby later added kills that brought the Tigers within 23-22 and 24-23. Concordia (TX) answered with the final point to take the set 25-23.
ETBU answered a 16-14 deficit in the second set, getting kills from Bobnar, Sims and Hornsby during the stretch that put the visitors in front 19-17. Concordia (TX) later moved ahead 24-23, but the Tigers closed the set with a Sims kill, a Server kill, and Hancock's block on the final point for a 26-24 set win.
Closing the third set with seven straight points, ETBU turned an 18-14 lead into a 25-14 set win. Sims put down kills for the first two Tigers points in that closing stretch, and Kasowski served the final six points, including an ace. Server and Bobnar combined on the block for the final point.
ETBU turned a 7-6 deficit into an 11-8 lead, with Server, Hornsby, and
McKinzie Riley each adding kills during that stretch. The Tigers later led 15-13, but Concordia (TX) answered with five straight points to put ETBU behind 18-15. ETBU fought off set point twice, including a Riley kill and a Hornsby block, before Concordia (TX) closed the set 25-23.
ETBU created the separation in the fifth set with a six-point surge from a 5-3 lead to 11-3, with Hornsby serving two aces during the stretch. Concordia (TX) later scored four straight to reach 13-8, but Server answered with a kill from Stewart, and Sims finished the set with a kill from Temple for a 15-8 Tigers win.
ETBU will now play in the 2026 ASC Volleyball Championship next Friday in Belton, Texas.
SET BREAKDOWN
First Set
- ETBU scored the first two points on a Hornsby kill and a service ace, but Concordia (TX) moved in front 8-5 behind early kills from multiple Tornados.
- Concordia (TX) stretched the lead to 17-11 before ETBU worked back into the set, using a Bobnar block, a Stewart kill, and kills from Bobnar and Server to get within 19-17.
- Temple's ace later pulled the Tigers within 20-19, and Hornsby kills kept ETBU close at 23-22 and 24-23 before Concordia (TX) closed the set 25-23.
Second Set
- Concordia (TX) moved ahead 6-2 early before ETBU cut the deficit to 8-7 behind a Bobnar kill, a Temple ace,e and a Server kill.
- After Concordia (TX) led 16-14, the Tigers won five of the next six points, including two Sims kills and a Hornsby kill, to move in front 19-17.
- Concordia (TX) answered to take a 22-21 lead and later reached set point at 24-23, but Sims tied the set with a kill.
- Server put ETBU ahead with a kill, and a Hancock block helped close the 26-24 set.
Third Set
- ETBU moved in front early with kills by Riley, Server, Hornsby and Stewart, then rebuilt the lead to 8-5 on Hancock's kill after Concordia (TX) had pulled within 5-4.
- Kasowski followed by serving four straight Tigers points, a stretch that included a Hornsby kill and a Sims kill, to make it 12-5.
- Concordia (TX) cut the margin to 18-14 with an ace, but Sims answered with a kill to start the closing push.
- ETBU scored the final seven points, with Kasowski serving the last six, and finished the set 25-14 on a block by Server and Bobnar.
Fourth Set
- After trailing 7-6, ETBU moved in front 11-8, with Server, Hornsby, and Riley recording kills during the push.
- The Tigers extended the lead to 14-9, but Concordia (TX) answered with consecutive aces and later moved ahead 18-15 behind several Tornado kills.
- ETBU pulled within 20-19 on a Server block and again got within 24-23 after a Riley kill and Hornsby block, but the Tornadoes finished the set for Concordia (TX), 25-23.
Fifth Set
- After Concordia (TX) scored the first point on an ace, ETBU answered with kills by Riley and Hornsby and a Hornsby block assist to move ahead 3-1.
- The Tigers held a 5-3 lead before a six-point run pushed the margin to 11-3, with Hornsby serving through two aces and multiple Concordia (TX) attack errors.
- Kasowski added an ace to make it 13-4 before Concordia (TX) scored four straight points, but Server stopped the run with a kill, and Sims followed with the final kill to close the set 15-8.
ETBU Top Performers
Lara Hornsby
- team-high 28.5 points
- team-high 24 kills
- 14 digs
- 3 blocks
Sadie Kasowski
- team-high 23 digs
- 14 assists
- 2 service aces
Claire Stewart
- team-high 23 assists
- 9 digs
- 2 kills
Sydney Temple
- 20 assists
- 10 digs
- 2 service aces
Katherine Server
- 7 kills
- 4 blocks, including 3 solo
- 10.5 points
