SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team picked up one of its biggest non-conference wins in program history, rallying from a 2-1 deficit by controlling both the fourth and fifth sets to complete the comeback and knock off (RV) Texas State 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 26-28, 25-19, 15-9) to kick off the Bobcat Classic Thursday night at the Strahan Arena at the University Events Center.
Southeastern got the start it wanted right out of the gate, jumping out to a 7-2 lead in the first set following an ace by
Hannah Brewer. Texas State scored on six of the next eight rallies to get it down to one point at 9-8 SLU before back-to-back kills by
Cicily Hidalgo and a block by Brewer and
Gracie Duplechein pushed the Lady Lion advantage back out to four points at 12-8. The lead was extended further as three straight
Kailin Newsome kills made it 17-11 Southeastern. Texas State rallied again, scoring on seven of the next nine to make it a one-point SLU lead again at 19-18, but SLU scored on six of the final nine rallies to close out the first set with a 25-21 score.
After a quick start by Texas State in the second set, taking a 5-2 lead, it was Southeastern's turn to rally as the Lady Lions scored on seven of the next nine rallies, including the last four straight of the run, to take a 9-7 lead on a kill by
Jacqueline Arrington. After splitting points, with a kill by Newsome giving SLU a 10-8 lead, Texas State went on a 9-3 run to go up 17-13. The Bobcats kept the Lady Lions at bay throughout the rest of the set, even as SLU fought off three set points to cut a 24-20 Texas State lead to 24-23, but the Bobcats got the final point out of a timeout to finish the set at 25-23.
The opening moments of the third set were back-and-forth as the two teams matched point-for-point until a kill by Newsome put Southeastern up 12-9. However, Texas State rattled off six straight points to go up 15-12. SLU quickly rallied to tie the set back up at 16-16 on a block by Arrington and Hidalgo. The Bobcats scored the next two to go up 18-16 before an Arrington kill started a run of four straight points by Southeastern, a run that Hidalgo capped with a kill to make it 20-18 Lady Lions. Texas State scored the next three to take a 21-20 lead and set up a mad dash to win the set. After five extra rallies, it was Texas State which got the two straight points needed to claim the set at 28-26.
Needing a win to keep force the deciding fifth set, a Hidalgo kill was the first of six straight Lady Lion points to open the fourth set and build Southeastern a big advantage right out of the gate as Brewer and
Rachel Hartmann combined on a block for a 6-0 lead. A Hartmann kill pushed the SLU lead up to 10-3, and then a Hidalgo kill made it 12-4 Lady Lions. Another kill by Hartmann gave Southeastern its largest lead of the set at 15-6. Texas State would make a run, cutting the SLU lead all the way down to three points at 21-18, but the Lady Lions scored on four of the final five points to close out the set at 25-19 on a Bobcat attack error.
The fifth and deciding set started as even as the match had been throughout the evening as a Texas State kill tied the set at 3-3, but that's where Southeastern took control as a two Bobcat attack errors and two Newsome kills put the Lady Lions up 7-3. That was the first four of an 11-1 Southeastern run which got the Lady Lions all the way to match point following a kill by Hidalgo. Three rallies later, a miscue on the set by Texas State ended the match and gave the Lady Lions the win.
SLU rode Newsome's arm all evening as she picked up her third double-double on the season with a season high 24 kills on a .217 attack percentage and 15 digs to go along with two service aces, two assists, and a block assist. Hidalgo picked up her second straight double-double as well, finishing with 18 kills on a .260 attack percentage and 24 digs. She added three assists, a service ace, and a block assist in the process. Arrington had 11 kills on a .346 attack percentage, an ace, a solo block, and four block assists in the match. Duplechein picked up her third double-double of the season with a season-high 45 assists and 10 digs before she left the match in the fourth set. Hartmann and
Ansley Tullis each had 17 digs.
Southeastern hit for a .259 attack percentage as a team in the match while holding Texas State to .198 hitting as a team.
The Lady Lions (4-2) look to continue a three-match win streak on Friday with a pair of matches at the Bobcat Classic. Southeastern's day begins at 10:00 a.m. with a match against the Cal Golden Bears (6-0) and wraps up at 3:00 p.m. with a match against the Abilene Christian Wildcats (5-2). Neither of Friday's matches will be streamed, though live stats will be available for both. All matches at the Bobcat Classic will be played at the Strahan Arena at the University Events Center on the campus of Texas State.
DIGGIN' IT CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the Southeastern volleyball program are encouraged to join the Diggin' It Club. Lion volleyball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
All membership fees and donations to both the Diggin' It Club and S Club (volleyball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern volleyball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at
laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting
www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lady Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB or @JWhiteSLU on Twitter, @LionUpVB on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
