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TAMUC – Sports

Burch nets first career top 10 as Lions tie for fourth at WNMU Fall Intercollegiate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf tied for fourth place at the Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate on Tuesday at the University of New Mexico’s Championship Course.

The Lions shot 301 Tuesday for a 54-hole total of 902 (300-301-301, +38). A&M-Commerce tied with Colorado Mesa and the Colorado School of Mines and was six strokes out of second place and four strokes from third place.

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) earned his first career top 10 finish, placing sixth with a 219 (+3, 74-69-76).

Lucas McCubbin (Midland) was the Lions’ low scorer Tuesday with an even-par 72, placing 12th at 222 (+6, 75-75-72).

Joe Wolcik (Cleveland – Tarkington) placed 38th at 230, Jonathon Welch (League City – Clear Springs) placed 50th at 232, and Blake Hartford (Spring – Klein Collins) placed 85th at 241.

The Lions head west again next week, playing in the RMAC Preview hosted by Regis at the Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster, Colo.

 Rank   Team Scores  Total   Par 
1.  Western New Mexico  294  295  296  885   +21
2.  Lubbock Christian  298  302  296  896   +32
3.  Dixie State  300  295  303  898   +34
4.  Colorado Mesa  301  302  299  902   +38
 Colorado School of Mines  294  305  303  902   +38
 A&M-COMMERCE  300  301  301  902   +38
7.  MSU Texas  309  292  306  907   +43
 Regis  302  308  297  907   +43
9.  Missouri Western State  308  305  296  909   +45
10.  St. Edward’s  303  299  309  911   +47
11.  Colorado State-Pueblo  302  304  306  912   +48
 Texas A&M International  310  305  297  912   +48
13.  Colorado Christian  312  302  303  917   +53
14.  West Texas A&M  310  311  307  928   +64
15.  Cameron  310  308  314  932   +68
16.  Fort Lewis  307  313  317  937   +73
 Westminster  305  318  314  937   +73
18.  UT Permian Basin  324  325  318  967   +103

A&M-COMMERCE 300 301 302   903    +39   6th
Zach Burch 74 69 76   219    +3   t-6th
Lucas McCubbin 75 75 72   222    +6   t-12th
Joe Wolcik 74 80 76   230    +14   t-38th
Jonathon Welch 77 77 78   232    +16   t-50th
Blake Hartford 80 84 77   241    +25   t-85th

 

 

Shelley Chapron, Rylie Fuentes repeat as LSC Players of the Week

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball players Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) and Rylie Fuentes (Robinson) have been named Lone Star Conference Volleyball Players of the Week. Chapron was named Defensive Player of the Week and Fuentes was named Setter of the Week. The awards were announced by the conference office on Tuesday.

Chapron receives her second LSC Player of the Week award after winning Offensive Player of the Week earlier in the year. The junior from Houston led the Lion middle defense, recording 10 blocks last week and helping hold opposing hitters to just a .134 average. Chapron had four blocks in the No. 21 Lions’ five-set win over UT Permian Basin. She also had 12 kills and three digs in the match. Chapron then had six blocks, including two solo blocks to go along with eight kills and three digs in the team’s four-set win over Western New Mexico.

After filling in at defensive specialist two weeks ago, Fuentes moved back to her natural position as a setter last week and did not miss a beat. The junior from Robinson led the team with 53 assists, leading the team to a .244 hitting percentage. Fuentes had 31 assists in the No. 21 Lions’ five-set win over UT Permian Basin, while also adding two aces. She then had 22 assists in the team’s four-set win over Western New Mexico. It is the third time this season Fuentes has been named Setter of the Week.

Chapron, Fuentes and the No. 21 Lions host two home matches this week. They will face West Texas A&M on Friday at 6:00 pm. They will then face Eastern New Mexico on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Both games will be played at the Field House. Tickets for both matches are available at WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756 or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office in the Field House.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
Aug. 28 – Madison Brabham, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Sept. 4 – Shelley Chapron, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 11 – Audrey Fragniere, Angelo State
Sept. 18 – Jaryn Wacker, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 25 – Jennifer Martinez, Eastern New Mexico
Oct. 2 – Lindsey Smith, West Texas A&M

Defense
Aug. 28 – Sundara Chinn, Angelo State
Sept. 4 – Savannah Rutledge, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 11 – Hannah McManus, Tarleton State
Sept. 18 – Hannah McManus, Tarleton State (2)
Sept. 25 – Alba Ontiveros, Eastern New Mexico
Oct. 2 – Shelley Chapron, Texas A&M-Commerce

Setter
Aug. 28 – Rylie Fuentes, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 4 – Rylie Fuentes, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
Sept. 11 – Sundara Chinn, Angelo State
Sept. 18 – Celeste Vela, Texas A&M-Commerce
Sept. 25 – Blanca Izquierdo, Tarleton State
Sept. 4 – Rylie Fuentes, Texas A&M-Commerce (3)

 

 

Lions in third after 36 holes at WNMU Fall Intercollegiate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team sits in third place after 36 holes of action at the Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate on Monday at the University of New Mexico’s Championship Course.

The Lions shot 599 (+23, 300-299) and are tied with Colorado School of Mines, 10 strokes behind Western New Mexico. Only eight strokes separate second place and eighth on the team leaderboard.

The Lions are led by Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper), who is in fourth place at 1-under par 143. He carded nine birdies on the day, including five in the second round, where he shot 3-under par 69.

Lucas McCubbin (Midland) is in 14th place at 6-over par 150. He shot 3-over par 75 in each round, with four birdies on the day.

Jonathon Welch (League City – Clear Spring) is in 31st place at 8-over par 152, carding four birdies in the second round. Joe Wolcik (Cleveland – Tarkington) is in 45th place at 10-over par 154 and Blake Hartford (Spring – Klein Collins) is in 90th place at 20-over par 164.

The tournament concludes on Tuesday at 8:00 am MDT. The Lions will be paired with Western New Mexico, Dixie State, and Colorado School of Mines..

Rank  Team Scores Total  Par 
1. Western New Mexico 294 295 589 +13
2. Dixie State 300 295 595 +19
3. Colorado School of Mines 294 305 599 +23
A&M-COMMERCE  300 299 599 +23
5. Lubbock Christian 298 302 600 +24
6. MSU Texas 309 292 601 +25
7. St. Edward’s 303 299 602 +26
8. Colorado Mesa 301 302 603 +27
9. Colorado State-Pueblo 302 304 606 +30
10. Regis 302 308 610 +34
11. Missouri Western State 308 305 613 +37
12. Colorado Christian 312 302 614 +38
13. Texas A&M International 310 305 615 +39
14. Cameron 310 308 618 +42
15. Fort Lewis 307 313 620 +44
16. West Texas A&M 310 311 621 +45
17. Westminster 305 318 623 +47
18. UT Permian Basin 324 325 649 +73
A&M-Commerce 300 299 599 +23 t-3rd
Zach Burch 74 69 143 -1 t-4th
Lucas McCubbin 75 75 150 +6 t-14th
Jonathon Welch 77 75 152 +8 t-31st
Joe Wolcik 74 80 154 +10 t-45th
Blake Hartford 80 84 164 +20 t-90th

 

Volleyball holds at No. 21 in AVCA National Rankings

COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team is the 21st ranked team in the latest coaches’ poll released by the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association. The Lions were the 21st ranked team in last week’s poll as well. It is the fifth week in a row the Lions have been nationally ranked.

The Lions went 2-0 last week on the road, giving them seven wins in a row. They defeated UT Permian Basin in five sets and Western New Mexico in four sets. A&M-Commerce had an attack percentage of .244 over the week and the defense held opponents to a .134 average. A&M-Commerce ranks fourth in the nation in both team kills and team assists and are 19th in team blocks.

The Lions are one of two teams from the Lone Star Conference in this week’s AVCA rankings. Tarleton State is ranked 17th. The Lions have faced five teams in the top-25 rankings and have a record of 4-1 against top-25 ranked teams so far this season.

The No. 21 Lions return home for two home matches this week. They will face West Texas A&M on Friday at 6 p.m. They will then face Eastern New Mexico on Saturday at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at the Field House. Tickets for both matches are available at WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756 or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office in the Field House.

2018 AVCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll – Oct . 1 (Week 6)

Rk.  School (First Place)  Pts.  Record
 1  Cal State San Bernardino (28)  1152  16-1
 2  Northern State (15)  1123  16-1
 3  Concordia-St. Paul (1)  1078  14-3
 4  Nebraska-Kearney (1)  1045  19-1
 5  Minnesota Duluth  945  14-3
 6  Ferris State (1)  925  14-3
 7  Western Washington  908  13-3
 8  Tampa  876  15-1
 9  Washburn (1)  803  19-0
 10  Southwest Minnesota State  737  12-5
 11  Rockhurst  660  16-2
 12  Drury  611  14-3
 13  West Florida  578  15-4
 14  Cal State L.A.  539  14-1
 15  Lewis  499  12-4
 16  Central Missouri  486  15-4
 17  Tarleton State  420  16-2
 18  Palm Beach Atlantic  362  14-3
 19  Central Oklahoma  331  17-4
 20  Wheeling Jesuit  282  15-3
 21  A&M-COMMERCE  219  14-4
 22  Colorado School of Mines  206  15-2
 23  Gannon  174  16-1
 24  Cal Poly Pomona  108  14-3
 25  Michigan Tech  70  14-3

Other schools receiving votes: Wayne State (Neb.); Azusa Pacific; Central Washington; Angelo State; Barry; Wingate; NW Missouri State; Ashland; Regis; Truman; Hillsdale; Shippensburg; Florida Southern; Findlay; Colorado Mesa

 

 

Lions earn 100th Division II national ranking, holding steady at No. 9

WACO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team is ranked No. 9 in this week’s 2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll, as announced by the AFCA on Monday morning.

The Lions responded from a loss with a 68-6 pounding of Lock Haven to move to 4-1 overall on the season. The Lions averaged nine yards per play for 612 total yards, scoring nine touchdowns in the rout. A&M-Commerce also limited LHU to 268 yards of offense and only 3.3 yards per play.

The top 10 national ranking will set up one of Division II’s marquee matchups once again, as the Lions and No. 4 MSU Texas are both in the top 10 nationally. This marks the third consecutive season that both the Lions and Mustangs are in the top 10 for this game.

Three Lion opponents for 2018 are in the top 25. Along with this week’s opponent at No. 4, Colorado State-Pueblo is ranked No. 15, and Tarleton jumps to No. 21. Also receiving votes is West Texas A&M.

A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 45 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. This is A&M-Commerce’s 51st all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.

In the polls recognized by Division II as the top rating system, the Lions have been recognized as a nationally ranked team 100 times since joining Division II in 1981. This is the Lions’ 12th straight appearance in the top 10, and the Lions have been in the top 10 for 31 of the last 32 polls.

The premier game of the week in Division II is set for a 7:00 pm kickoff on Saturday, October 6, as the Lions and MSU Texas battle at Wichita Falls’ Memorial Stadium. Lion fans can travel to Wichita Falls on the Fan Bus. More information is available HERE. The Alumni Relations department will host an A&M-Commerce Alumni Tailgate at Memorial Stadium starting at 4:30 pm. Watch parties in Commerce will be hosted at Luigi’s and The Club in the Rayburn Student Center.

2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll
October 1, 2018

Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev.
1. Minnesota St. (28) 5-0 818 1
2. Grand Valley St. (1) 5-0 778 3
3. Ferris St. (Mich.) (4) 5-0 760 4
4. MSU Texas 5-0 731 5
5. West Georgia 5-0 686 6
6. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 5-0 631 7
7. Minnesota-Duluth 5-0 571 8
8. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 5-0 544 10
9. A&M-COMMERCE 4-1 529 9
10. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 5-0 465 13
11. West Florida 4-1 463 11
12. Colorado School of Mines 5-0 459 14t
13. West Chester (Pa.) 5-0 421 12
14. Indiana (Pa.) (5) 4-1 410 2
15. Colorado St.-Pueblo 4-1 382 16
16. Northwest Missouri St. 4-1 341 17
17. Southern Arkansas 5-0 293 19
18. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) 4-1 278 18
19. Harding (Ark.) 4-1 217 20
20. Notre Dame (Ohio) 5-0 190 23
21. Tarleton 4-0 177 25
22. Indianapolis (Ind.) 3-1 160 22
23. Kutztown (Pa.) 4-0 61 NR
24. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 4-1 55 NR
25. Central Washington 3-2 54 14t

Dropped Out: West Alabama (21), Colorado Mesa (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Sioux Falls (S.D.), 52; Tiffin (Ohio), 45; Ohio Dominican, 39; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 33; LIU-Post (N.Y.), 16; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 10; Chadron St. (Neb.), 9; West Texas A&M, 9; Bowie St. (Md.), 7; Central Missouri, 7; Davenport (Mich.), 7; Florida Tech, 4; Hillsdale (Mich.), 4; West Alabama, 4; Colorado Mesa, 2; Charleston (W.Va.), 1; Morehouse (Ga.), 1; Virginia Union, 1.

 

 

Lions fall 2-1 to Angelo State on late second-half goal

COMMERCE– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team lost 2-1 to Angelo State on Sunday afternoon.

The loss brings the Lions to 4-4-0 on the season and 1-3-0 in the Lone Star Conference. The Rambelles improve to 5-4-1 and 3-1-0 in conference play.

The Lions will head out on the road for a Wednesday match against Texas Women’s. The match will be played at 7:00 pm at the TWU Soccer Field in Denton.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Cora Welch (Plano) scored the Lions’ goal in the 80th minute. It was her first goal of the season.
– Michelle Kotlik (Grapevine), Izzy Ward (McKinney – Boyd) and Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) also had shots on goal.
– Caitlin Duty (Crandall) made eight saves in the match.
– ASU scored goals in the 62nd and 82nd minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions held control of the ball early, taking three early shots that missed the mark. The Rambelles had the first chance for a goal in the match. In the 17th minute, Duty was there to make the save and keep the game scoreless.

Kotlik had a shot blocked on a good opportunity in the 26th minute. Campuzano then had a shot that was just wide in the 31st minute. The latter half of the half was a defensive affair, with neither team controlling the ball for long periods of time. Campuzano had a late shot on goal that was saved and ASU had a shot high in the final seconds.

The Lions had a shot on goal in the second half as Kotlik was able to head a shot off of a corner kick, but the shot was saved. Ward also had a shot on goal in the 56th minute. ASU then got on the board in the 62nd minute with a goal off a long pass.

Kotlik had another shot that went off the crossbar in the 69th minute and two Campuzano shots were blocked in a row to keep the Lions off the board. After a save from Duty, the Lions equalized the game in the 80th minute. Campuzano took a corner kick which was shot by Delaney Bunselmeyer. The ball went off the crossbar but fell at the feet of Welch, who fired the ball into the net.

The tie was short-lived as ASU scored the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute. Duty made three saves late to keep the Lions in striking distance but a Lion goal could not be scored.

 

 

No. 21 Lions knock off Western New Mexico in four sets for the seventh-consecutive win

SILVER CITY, N.M.– The No. 21 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated Western New Mexico 3-1 on the road on Saturday. The set scores were 25-15, 14-25, 25-23 and 25-14.

The win brings the Lions to 14-4 on the season and 6-2 in the Lone Star Conference. It is the seventh win in a row for the Lions and their sixth consecutive conference win. The Mustangs fall to 7-10 on the year and 3-5 in conference play.

The Lions return home on Friday to host West Texas A&M. The match will be played at 6 p.m. at the Field House.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) tallied her fourth triple-double of the season. The freshman had 12 kills, 18 assists, and 14 digs.
– Jaryn Wacker (Austin – Vista Ridge) led the team with 14 kills, hitting .394.
– Shelley Chapron (Houston – St. Pius X) and Jaslyn Wacker (Austin – Vista Ridge) each had six blocks in the match to go along with eight kills apiece.
– Rylie Fuentes (Robinson) led the team with 22 assists. Savannah Rutledge (The Woodlands – College Park) had a team-high 17 digs.
– The Lions hit .207 in the match and their defense held WNMU to an average of .100.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions scored the first three points of the first set and quickly jumped out to a 10-4 lead. After the Mustangs cut the Lion lead to four points, the Lions again went on the offensive. They scored five of the next six to push their lead to eight. WNMU attempted to come back but the A&M-Commerce shut the door, scoring six of the final seven points of the set to win 25-15. Vela had five kills in the first set.

The Lions got off to a good start in the second set, scoring four of the first five points. While trailing 8-5, the Mustangs then rallied, scoring nine of the next 11 points. The Mustangs scored the final five points of the set to win 25-14.

The Lions again started strong in the third set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead. The Lions built their lead to as many as six before the Mustangs rallied at the end of the set to take a 23-22 lead. The Lions buckled down in the end, scoring the last three points of the set to win 25-23. Jaryn Wacker had five kills in the set while Vela and Jaslyn Wacker each had four. Rutledge had eight digs in the set.

The Lions quickly put the fourth set out of reach. They started the set on an 11-2 run. Jaryn Wacker had four early kills while Chapron added three more. Wacker hit .750 in the set. The Lions built their lead to as many as 13 in the set and won 25-14.

 

 

No. 9 Lions roll to a 68-6 rout of Lock Haven

COMMERCE – The No. 9 Texas A&M University-Commerce football team got back on the winning path Saturday, rolling to a 68-6 victory over visiting Lock Haven University at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium.

The Lions move to 4-1 overall on the season, while the Bald Eagles fall to 1-4.

A&M-Commerce returns to Lone Star Conference action next weekend with a Top 10 matchup at MSU Texas. Kickoff at Wichita Falls’ Memorial Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 6.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-The Lions dominated the game from start to finish, outgaining the Bald Eagles 612-268. A&M-Commerce had 26 first downs to Lock Haven’s 12.
– Quarterback Kane Wilson (New Orleans, La.) completed 20-of-31 passes for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Preston Wheeler (Austin – Bowie) and Matt Childers (Henderson) also each completed touchdown passes. Wilson also rushed for a score.
– Marquis WImberly (Duarte, Calif.) had 195 receiving yards on nine catches with touchdown receptions of 31 and six yards.
– Ryan Stokes (St. Louis, Mo.) had four receptions for 107 yards, with three of those going for touchdowns of 44, 40, and 10 yards.
– Chance Cooper (Leander – Rouse) had a touchdown catch and Nate Davis (San Antonio – Madison) had a 43-yard touchdown carry.
– Kristov Martinez (Edinburg) made a 37-yard field goal and was a perfect 8-for-8 on PAT attempts.
– Josh Reynolds (Paris) returned a PAT attempt blocked by Reggie Kincade (Everman) for two points.
– Dominique Ramsey (Converse – Judson) had four punt returns for 82 yards, including a 71-yarder to set up a score.
– Mark Westbrook (Schertz – Clemens) was the leading tackler for the Lions with eight stops.
– Kader Kohou (Euless – Trinity) had six tackles and forced two fumbles.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Lions scored on their opening drive of the game, converting on a pair of third downs to extend the drive. Wilson’s 44-yard touchdown strike to Stokes with 10:00 left on the first quarter clock capped an eight-play, 97-yard drive and made it 7-0.

A&M-Commerce’s defense set up a short field after a pair of Bald Eagle punts, and Wilson’s three-yard touchdown carry with 4:18 left in the first quarter pushed the lead to 14-0.

Martinez drilled a 37-yard field goal on the first drive of the second quarter to make it 17-0. After another quick LHU drive, Ramsey returned a punt 71 yards to the Bald Eagle 6. Carandal Hale (Greenville) scored on the next play to make it 24-0 with 10:58 left in the first half.

An LHU three-and-out resulted in another one-play scoring drive, as Childers found Stokes from 40 yards out for paydirt, extending the lead to 31-0 with 8:39 left in the first half.

Wilson and Wimberly hooked up for two long passes on the Lions’ next scoring drive, with a 31-yarder counting for six points on the third play of an 80-yard drive. A&M-Commerce took a 38-0 lead into halftime.

The Lions received the opening kickoff of the second half and converted it into points just two minutes later. A five-play, 57-yard drive ended on a 10-yard Wilson-to-Stokes connection to make it 45-0. Wimberly had a 38-yard completion on the drive.

A&M-Commerce went two drives without scoring, but after the defense stopped the Bald Eagles on fourth down at the TAMUC 50, the Lions needed only five plays to traverse the 60 yards. Wilson completed the 6-yard touchdown strike to Wimberly, extending the lead to 52-0.

The Bald Eagles got on the board late in the third quarter. A three-and-out resulted in a punt, but a bounding ball struck a Lion and LHU recovered with only 30 yards needed to score. Cameron Tobias completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chantz Swartz. Kincade blocked the PAT attempt and Reynolds took it to the house, making the score 54-6 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Wheeler leads a touchdown drive of 47 yards over the course of four plays, ending on a 13-yard scoring pass to Cooper. Chase Pemberton (Wills Point) led the Lions’ final scoring drive, as Davis scored on a 43-yard rush with 2:27 to seal the runaway.

 

 

Lions strike twice in second half to down UTPB

ROCKWALL– The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team defeated UT Permian Basin 2-0 on Friday night. The Lions scored two goals in the second half to get the shutout victory.

The win brings the Lions to 4-3-0 on the season and 1-2-0 in the Lone Star Conference. UTPB falls to 1-7-0 on the season and 0-3-0 in conference play.

The Lions return home to host Angelo State on Sunday. The match will be played at noon at the Lion Soccer Field.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Michelle Kotlik scored both goals for the Lions. All three of her shots were on goal.
– Myca Crum assisted on the first goal. Lindsey McDonald assisted on the second goal.
– Sabrina Munguia had two shots on goal. Jasmyn Coronado and McDonald also had shots on goal.
– The Lions had 11 corner kicks in the game while UTPB had two.
– The Lions outshot UTPB 15-7. Seven of the Lions’ shots were on goal.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lions had an early chance as a shot from Munguia was saved in the sixth minute. The Lions had another chance off of a corner kick, but a shot from Coronado was saved. A&M-Commerce controlled the action early, putting pressure on the Falcon defense.

The Falcons had a shot blocked in the 12th minute as the Lion defense also was in position throughout the half.

The Lions had two late chances in the first half. On a free kick, Crum hammered the ball toward the goal but the ball hit off the crossbar. Then a corner kick fell at the feet of Crum, but she pushed the ball just high of the goal. The teams were tied at zero entering the half. The Lions allowed just one Falcon shot in the half.

The Falcons had an early opportunity in the second half but Duty was there to make the save. McDonald then had a chance, but the UTPB keeper was there to make the save.

The Lions got on the board in the 54th minute. On a cross from the left from Crum, Kotlik used her head to direct the ball into the net. The Lions took a 1-0 lead.

UTPB looked for the equalizer in the 55th minute but Duty was there to make the save. The Lions then had a chance to build on the lead but Kotlik’s shot was saved. Duty made another save in the 63rd minute and Munguia had a shot saved in the 68th minute.

The Lions added to their lead in the 73rd minute. On a long pass over the top from McDonald, Kotlik found space and shot the ball into the goal. The Lions took a 2-0 lead.

Duty made a late save to seal the shutout win.

 

 

No. 21 Lions win hard-fought five-setter against UTPB

ODESSA– The No. 21 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team defeated UT Permian Basin in five sets on Friday night. The Lions won the second, third and fifth sets. The set scores were 22-25, 25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9.

The win brings the Lions to 13-4 on the season and 5-2 in the Lone Star Conference. The Falcons fall to 9-7 and 4-4 in conference play.

The Lions return to the court on Saturday with a road match against Western New Mexico. The match will be played at 6 p.m. MDT (7 p.m. CDT) at Drag’s Court in Silver City.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– The Lions had five players end the match with double-digit kills. Jaryn Wacker (Austin-Vista Ridge) led the team with 14 kills, including six in the third set.
– Bina Njikam (Keller) had 13 kills. Jaslyn Wacker (Austin-Vista Ridge), Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) and Shelley Chapron (Houston-St. Pius X) each had 12 kills. Vela came one dig shy of a triple-double.
– Chapron had four blocks while Njikam had three.
– Savannah Rutledge (The Woodlands – College Park) led the team with 20 digs. Daniela Santos (Caracas, Venezuela) had 15.
– Rylie Fuentes (Robinson) had 31 assists while Vela added 26.
– The Lions hit .274 in the match and held UTPB to a .168 average. The Lions had 72 kills while the Falcons had 44.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set was evenly matched to start, as the teams were tied 13-all midway through the first set. The teams continued to battle as the set was again tied at 18. UTPB went on a run to end the set, winning 25-22. UTPB hit .310 in the set while the Lions hit .158. Vela and Jaslyn Wacker each had four kills in the set.

The Lion attack caught fire in the second set. Vela had two early kills as the Lions jumped out to a 4-1 lead. UTPB pulled back to within one point before a 5-0 run brought Lion’s lead to six points. Njikam had three kills in the rally. The Lions ended the set on a 6-1 run to take the set 25-14. Njikam had four kills in the set to lead the Lions. Vela and Jaryn Wacker both had three.

The third set was again a back-and-forth affair, as the teams were tied at 12 at the midway mark. The Falcons went on a mini-run to take a three-point lead at 19-16 before the Lions roared back. Jaryn Wacker had three late kills as the Lions took the lead for good. The Lions won the third set 25-22. Jaryn Wacker had six kills in the set in 10 attacks.

UTPB took the early advantage in the fourth set, building a seven-point lead. It was a lead the Falcons would hold until a late Lion rally brought the match within one point. However, the Falcons got the point they needed to win the set 25-23. Njikam had five kills in the set.

The teams split the first eight points of the final set before UTPB went on a run to take a two-point lead. The Lions found a spark to close as the team scored 10 of the final 12 points to win the set and the match. Madison Luther had three kills in the final set to lead the team.

Josh Manck
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