TAMUC – Sports

VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball outlasts Midwestern State, winning in five sets to bring the streak to eight.

COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team got a 3-2 win over Midwestern State on Tuesday. The Lions fell behind 2-1 but rallied to win the final two sets. The set scores were 21-25, 25-18, 14-25, 25-21 and 15-13. It is the eighth consecutive win for A&M-Commerce.

The win brings the Lions to 14-7 and 9-2 in the Lone Star Conference. The Mustangs fall to 9-11 and 3-8 in conference play.

The Lions return to the road for back-to-back matches against ranked conference opponents. They will face No. 22 Angelo State on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 13 Tarleton State at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Lions defeated both ASU and TSU at home earlier in the season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Layne Little tied for the team lead with 12 kills. She also had 11 digs and two blocks.
– Mariyah Oliver also had 12 kills, hitting .250. She also had a block.
– Jaslyn Wacker had seven kills and led the team with nine assisted blocks. She also had two aces.
– Rylie Fuentes had 16 assists and led the team with 17 digs. She also had an ace.
– Gabriela Rosa led the team with 20 assists and added nine digs.
– Savannah Rutledge had 16 digs and had two service aces.
– Jaryn Wacker had eight kills. Shelley Chapron had three kills, Neka Nelson and Sydney Reyes had two kills apiece, and Preston Lienemann had a kill.
– Lacie Jessup had eight digs and two aces.
– The Lions had seven aces and won the match despite having a lower hitting percentage.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions scored the first two points of the match before MSU scored seven points in a row to jump out to an early lead in the first set. Trailing by five midway through the game, the Lions went on a four-point run, with two kills from Jaryn Wacker to cut into the MSU lead. It was part of a 7-1-run that gave A&M-Commerce the 17-16 lead. It was back and forth until the Mustangs scored the final five points of the set, winning 25-21.

It was a back-and-forth start to the second set as the teams split the first 10 points. The Lions then went on a run, scoring five points in a row, including a block and a kill from Jaslyn Wacker. After two MSU points, Jaslyn had back-to-back aces to give A&M-Commerce a 13-8 lead at the halfway of the second set.

Oliver had consecutive kills as the Lions maintained their lead. The team then went on a run, scoring five points in a row to take its largest lead of the set, 21-13. MSU attempted to climb back in, but the Lions closed the door and took the second set 25-18. Oliver had four kills in the set.

After splitting the first six points of the third set, MSU then took eight points in a row to take control of the third game. The Mustangs had four aces in five points as part of the rally. MSU built its lead to as many as 12 points in the set and won 25-14.

After splitting the first points of the fourth set, the Lions jumped out to lead, scoring four points in a five-point stretch. The Lions led 10-6. That lead was short-lived as MSU rallied back to score four in a row to tie the match. Midway through the set, the Lions held a slim 13-12 lead.

The Lions then scored four in a row of their own to take an 18-14 lead. The Mustangs fought back to cut the lead to one point. Little had her best set of the match, recording six kills as she propelled the team forward. The Lions scored the final three of the game to win 25-21.

After losing the first point of the deciding set, MSU then scored four points in a row to take an early lead in the fifth game. The Lions then had three points in a row to tie the set at 4-all. It was a back and forth battle as the teams traded blows. It tied at 11-all near the end after three consecutive MSU points.

The Lions would not be denied, however. After falling behind 13-12, they scored the final three points of the set, clinching both the game and the match. Oliver had four kills in the collection, including the last kill as the Lions took the fifth set 15-13 and won its eighth-consecutive match.

 

VOLLEYBALL

Savannah Rutledge named LSC Defensive Player of the Week.

RICHARDSON–Texas A&M University-Commerce libero Savannah Rutledge has been named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The award was announced Tuesday by the conference office. Rutledge is the second Lion to receive the award this season.

Rutledge– a sophomore from The Woodlands– was all over the court for the Lions as she led the team with 48 digs, averaging 6.0 per set in the Lions’ two wins last week. She had a career-high 32 digs in A&M-Commerce’s 3-2 road win against West Texas A&M. Rutledge received 20 serves against the Lady Buffs without a return error and also had five assists and an ace. She then had 16 digs without a return error and added an ace in the Lions sweep of UT Permian Basin. Over the weekend, Rutledge helped hold Lion opponents to just a .113 hitting percentage. She is fifth in the conference in service aces per set and 10th in digs per set.

Rutledge and the Lions are 8-2 in conference play and are currently on a seven-game winning streak. They return to action tonight as they host Midwestern State. The match will begin at 6 p.m. at the Field House.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
Sept. 5 – Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State
Sept. 12 – Sundara Chinn, Angelo State
Sept. 19 – Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State (2)
Sept. 26 – Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State (3)
Oct. 3 – Sundara Chinn, Angelo State (2)
Oct. 10 – Erin Clark, West Texas A&M
Oct. 17 – Hailey Roberts, Tarleton State (4)

Defense
Sept. 5 – Crystal Thomas, West Texas A&M
Sept. 12 – Morgan Seaton, Angelo State
Sept. 19 – Shelley Chapron, A&M-Commerce
Sept. 26 – Amber Strange, Tarleton State
Oct. 3 – Andrea Aguilar, Eastern New Mexico
Oct. 10 – Amber Strange, Tarleton State (2)
Oct. 17 – Savannah Rutledge, A&M-Commerce

Setter
Sept. 5 – Selena Batiste, West Texas A&M
Sept. 12 – Meghan Parker, Angelo State
Sept. 19 – Gabriela Rosa, A&M-Commerce
Sept. 26 – Jordyn Keamo, Tarleton State
Oct. 3 – Jordyn Keamo, Tarleton State (2)
Oct. 10 – Rylie Fuentes, A&M-Commerce
Oct. 17 – Jordyn Keamo, Tarleton State (3)

MEN’S GOLF

Lions finish Midwestern State Invitational in second place.

WICHITA FALLS – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team made up a stroke on the leaders in the final round of the Midwestern State Invitational, finishing the tournament in second place on Tuesday.

The Lions shot 861 (289-284-288, +9) on the par-71 layout at the Wichita Falls CC, finishing seven strokes behind tournament champion Midwestern State. A&M-Commerce was three strokes ahead of Regis.

Lucas McCubbin earned his second top 10 finish of the season, placing seventh at 215 (73-70-72, +2). In Tuesday’s final round he carded four birdies in a span of five holes and finished one stroke over par.

Wilfredo Sanchez placed 13th on the leaderboard at 216 (76-67-73, +3). He had two birdies in Tuesday’s final round.

Just one stroke behind was Nick Louy in 15th place at 217 (71-73-73, +4). The senior finished strong with consecutive birdies to complete the day at 2-over.

Blake Hartford had the Lions’ low round of the day at 1-under par with three birdies, including his opening hole of the day. He finished the event in 24th place at 219 (73-76-70, +6).

Joe Wolcik placed 45th at 225 (72-74-79, +12) to round out the Lion contingent, carding a birdie on the fifth hole.

The Lions have finished in the top four of all three tournaments they have played this fall. The fall portion of the season concludes in two weeks when A&M-Commerce hosts The Classic at Firewheel on October 30-31 at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland.

Rank	Team	Scores			Total	Par
1.	Midwestern State	288	277	289	854	+2
2.	A&M-COMMERCE	289	284	288	861	+9
3.	Regis	286	293	285	864	+12
4.	St. Edward’s	291	287	289	867	+15
5.	Texas A&M International	290	293	296	879	+27
6.	Cameron	305	286	289	880	+28
7.	Southeastern Oklahoma State	295	292	294	881	+29
	West Texas A&M	296	289	296	881	+29
9.	Rogers State	295	287	301	883	+31
10.	Dallas Baptist	291	297	297	885	+33
11.	St. Mary’s	297	296	294	887	+35
12.	Oklahoma Baptist	293	304	299	896	+44
13.	UT Permian Basin	309	297	308	914	+62
14.	Newman	307	306	303	916	+64
15.	Fort Lewis	303	305	310	918	+66

 

A&M-Commerce	289	284	288	861	+9	2nd
Lucas McCubbin	73	70	72	215	+2	t-7th
Wilfredo Sanchez	76	67	73	216	+3	t-13th
Nick Louy	71	73	73	217	+4	t-15th
Blake Hartford	73	76	70	219	+6	t-24th
Joe Wolcik	72	74	79	225	+12	t-45th

 

MEN’S GOLF

Lions sit in second place after 36 holes at Midwestern State Invitational.

WICHITA FALLS – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team sits in second place after 36 holes at the Midwestern State Invitational, eight strokes off the lead entering the final round.

The Lions shot 573 (289-284, +5) on the par-71 layout at the Wichita Falls CC on a day with highs in the 60s and low wind for exceptional scoring conditions. A&M-Commerce is eight strokes behind Midwestern State (565, -3) as the host team holds the lead. The Lions have a 5-stroke lead on St. Edward’s (578) and 6-stroke lead on Regis (579).

Lucas McCubbin and Wilfredo Sanchez are in a tie for eighth place at 143 (+1) after the first day’s action, trailing the individual leader by five strokes.

Sanchez hit a rough patch towards the end of the front nine in the first round to shoot 5-over but rebounded with a scorching-round in the back half of his day. After bogeying his first hole, Sanchez birdied seven holes – including his final two – for a 4-under par 67 and his second-best round of the season.

McCubbin went 73-70 on the day. He shot even par on the back nine of his first round with a pair of birdies. He had four birdies in the second round to go 1-under par.

Nick Louy saw his first action of the season and tied for 15th at 2-over par 144. He played his first round at even par. He had two birdies and two bogeys entering the 14th hole. He had a double bogey but quickly responded with an eagle to get back to even. In the second round, he had two birdies on the way to a 2-over par 73.

Joe Wolcik is in 25th place at 4-over par 146. He had one birdie in the first round on the way to a 1-over par 72. He had three birdies in his second round, carding a 3-over par 74.

Blake Hartford is in 40th place at 7-over par 149. He had two birdies on the day – one in each round.

The tournament concludes with 18 holes Tuesday. Grouped with the Lions are LSC rival Midwestern State and regional opponent St. Edward’s for the 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	Midwestern State	288	277	565	-3
2.	A&M-COMMERCE	289	284	573	+5
3.	St. Edward’s	291	287	578	+10
4.	Regis	286	293	579	+11
5.	Rogers State	295	287	582	+14
6.	Southeastern Oklahoma State	295	288	583	+15
	Texas A&M International	290	293	583	+15
8.	West Texas A&M	296	289	585	+17
9.	Dallas Baptist	291	297	588	+20
10.	Cameron	305	286	591	+23
11.	St. Mary’s	297	296	593	+25
12.	Oklahoma Baptist	293	304	597	+29
13.	UT Permian Basin	309	297	606	+38
14.	Fort Lewis	303	305	608	+40
15.	Newman	307	306	613	+45

 

A&M-Commerce	289	284	573	+5	2nd
Lucas McCubbin	73	70	143	+1	t-8th
Wilfredo Sanchez	76	67	143	+1	t-8th
Nick Louy	71	73	144	+2	t-15th
Joe Wolcik	72	74	146	+4	t-25th
Blake Hartford	73	76	149	+7	t-40th

 

FOOTBALL

Luis Perez named LSC Offensive Player of the Week after breaking 64-year-old program record.

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce quarterback Luis Perez has been named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week. It is the second time this season Perez has received the designation. The award was announced Monday by the conference office.

Perez– a senior from Chula Vista, Calif.– became A&M-Commerce’s all-time passing touchdown leader with a big night leading the Lions to 52-3 Homecoming victory over Western N.M. He went over 300 yards passing for the fourth straight game and had his fifth straight game with four or more touchdown passes. He now leads with 22 touchdown passes in the LSC. Perez completed 23-of-32 passes for 358 yards and five touchdowns without throwing an interception.

He now has 54 career touchdown passes, which broke a 64-year old school record. He also broke the career completion mark at A&M-Commerce. He leads the LSC in passing efficiency, completion percentage, passing TDs, point responsibility, and yards per attempt. He completed two scoring passes to Buck Wilson, putting Wilson into the LSC lead in touchdown receptions. Perez went over 5,000 career passing yards in the game, and his 5,212 career yards now ranks fifth in A&M-Commerce history.

Perez and the No. 10 Lions return to action on Saturday as they host Angelo State at 4 p.m. The game will be at Memorial Stadium. Tickets for the Youth Sports Day game against Angelo State are available by visiting WeAreLionsTix.com, calling (903) 468-8756, or visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office in the Field House.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive
Sept. 4 – D’Angelo Bowie, Western New Mexico
Sept. 11 – Jordan Thomas, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Sept. 18 – Luis Perez, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 25 – Xavier Turner, Tarleton State
Oct. 2 – Layton Rabb, Midwestern State
Oct. 9 – Layton Rabb, Midwestern State (2)
Oct. 16 – Luis Perez, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)

Defensive
Sept. 4 – Chris Smith, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 11 – Daelin Young, West Texas A&M
Sept. 18 – EJ Speed, Tarleton State
Sept. 25 – Yusef Sterling-Lowe, Texas A&M-Commerce
Oct. 2 – Brad Hardin, Eastern New Mexico
Oct. 9 – Dominic Barry, Western New Mexico
Oct. 16 – Kevin Hayes, Midwestern State

Special Teams
Sept. 4 – Bailey Hale, Eastern New Mexico
Sept. 11 – Alex Schrag, West Texas A&M
Sept. 18 – Sergio Sroka, Tarleton State
Sept. 25 – Kristov Martinez, Texas A&M-Commerce
Oct. 2 – Ron Reid, Tarleton State
Oct. 9 – Collin Grady, Western New Mexico
Oct. 16 – Connor Flanigan, Angelo State

Lions move up to No. 10 nationally in AFCA Coaches’ Poll.

WACO – Following a big Homecoming win last Saturday, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team moved up one spot to No. 10 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll entering the eighth week of the season, as announced Monday.

The Lions rolled to a 52-3 victory over Western New Mexico last week. The defense forced four turnovers, and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, quarterback Luis Perez became the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, and Kristov Martinez became the school’s all-time leader in PATs made.

A&M-Commerce will carry a 5-1 overall record and 3-1 Lone Star Conference mark into Saturday’s Youth Sports Day game against Angelo State. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is 4:00 p.m.

Ranked ahead of the No. 4 Lions are three undefeated teams in Super Region Four. They are Minnesota State (7-0), No. 5 Midwestern State (5-0), and No. 9 Central Washington (7-0). Other regional teams in the Top 25 are No. 11 Winona State (7-0), No. 15 Sioux Falls (6-1), No. 22 Humboldt State (5-1), and No. 24 Eastern New Mexico (6-1).

A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 34 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. It is A&M-Commerce’s 40th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.

Tickets for the Youth Sports Day game against Angelo State are available by visiting WeAreLionsTix.com, calling (903) 468-8756, or visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office in the Field House.
2017 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – October 16, 2017

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.
1.	Northwest Missouri St. (34)	7-0	850	1
2.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	6-0	791	2
3.	Indiana (Pa.)	7-0	782	3
4.	Minnesota St.	7-0	754	4
5.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	5-0	682	6
6.	Indianapolis (Ind.)	7-0	678	5
7.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	6-1	635	7
8.	Fort Hays St. (Kan.)	7-0	616	8
9.	Central Washington	7-0	572	10
10.	A&M-COMMERCE	5-1	541	11
11.	Winona St. (Minn.)	7-0	494	13
12.	Ferris St. (Mich.)	5-1	424	15
13.	Ashland (Ohio)	6-1	423	16
14.	Assumption (Mass.)	6-0	406	17
15.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	6-1	352	18
16.	Colorado Mesa	6-1	307	20
17.	Slippery Rock (Pa.)	6-1	288	9
18.	West Alabama	6-1	271	23
19.	Delta St. (Miss.)	6-1	263	21
20.	Wingate (N.C.)	6-0	243	24
21.	Virginia St.	6-0	165	NR
22.	Humboldt St. (Calif.)	5-1	154	25
23.	Bowie St. (Md.)	6-1	95	14
24.	Eastern New Mexico	6-1	66	NR
25.	Southeastern Oklahoma St.	6-1	64	19

Dropped Out: Colorado St.-Pueblo (12), West Georgia (22)

Others Receiving Votes: Colorado St.-Pueblo, 46; Notre Dame (Ohio), 28; California (Pa.), 16; Findlay (Ohio), 16; Central Missouri, 15; West Georgia, 11; The Virginia Union, 1; Washburn (Kan.), 1.