Leslie Campuzano earns the Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week award.

COMMERCE – Accounting for six points in the Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team’s 8-0 win over UT-Permian Basin, senior forward Leslie Campuzano is named Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week this week. 

Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) was responsible for four of the eight goals in Saturday’s win over UT Permian Basin. She had a goal and two assists in the first half and added another goal in the second half. 

She tied for third in the Lone Star Conference with 10 points and four assists. 

The Under Armour Student-Athlete of the Week will be awarded by Lion Athletics each week through the remainder of the academic year.

 2021-22 Under Armour Student-Athletes of the Week

Sep. 22 Alex Speer, Men’s Cross Country

Sep. 26 Leslie Campuzano, Soccer 

Lions win Chennault Cup for a record ninth-straight time.

Kingsville: The Chennault Cup is coming back to Commerce for a record, ninth-straight time after the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team rolled over rival Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday at Javelina Stadium by a score of 35-10. 

Jaiave Magalei (Tacoma, Wash.) threw three touchdowns, and E.J. Thompson (Cy Ranch) ran for one as well as caught one for the Lions as they snapped their two-game losing streak and moved to 2-2 on the season. A&M-Commerce is 1-1 in Lone Star Conference and drops A&M-Kingsville to a 2-2 overall record and 1-1 conference record as well. 

The Lions have won nine straight meetings between the two teams, the longest streak in the series that dates back to 1930. 

Antonio Leali’ie’e (Copperas Cove) jumpstarted the offense on the second play, breaking away for a 73-yard touchdown rush. It was the most extended play from scrimmage for the Lions this year and the longest run in his career for Leali’ie’e, who led the team with 94 rushing yards on seven carries. 

The Lion defense forced a three-and-out on its first drive and the offense capitalized with a one-yard touchdown rush by E.J. Thompson (Cy Ranch). A 22-yard punt return by Dominique Ramsey (Converse – Judson) bolstered the drive to Lions’ 42-yard line. 

The second drive fared much better for the Texas A&M-Kingsville offense. The Javelinas drove down to the Lions’ four-yard line. The Lion defense stopped the Javelinas stopped right there and forced a field-goal attempt at the five-yard line. 

The kick was blocked by D’Ante Smith (Richardson – Berkner) and recovered by Cedrick Wilcox III (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) to the 20-yard line. Wilcox III and Daryion Taylor (Humble – Atascotica) led the Lions with seven tackles each. Ben Hutch (Old Hickory, Tenn.) had a sack as well. 

The offense once again rewarded the defense for its goal-line stand with another touchdown. Magalei connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Chance Cooper (Leander – Rouse). Cooper led all Lions receivers with 83 yards on seven catches. 

The Javelinas scored their first points of the night with 3:45 left in the second quarter. Gilbert Garza kicked a 22-yard field goal after the A&M-Commerce defense made another goal-line stand. 

In the final drive of the first half, the Lions worked their way into opposition territory. As time expired, a 50-yard field goal attempt by Jake Viquez (Rockwall) sailed wide right. 

The Lions outgained the Javelinas, 227-125 in the first half, including 125-74 on the ground. Although the Javelinas entered the game averaging 184.3 rushing yards per game, the Lions held them to 128 on Saturday. 

A&M-Commerce offense had four drives in the first half. Three drives ended with touchdowns, and the other one was the missed field goal by Viquez. 

In the first drive of the second half, the Javelinas drove down to the Lions 27 but missed another field goal attempt. After that, they went 1 for 3. 

Another Lions’ drive ended with seven points. This one was the first drive of the second half. Magalei threw a screen pass to Thompson, who ran it in for a 28-yard catch. 

Magalei, the transfer from Louisiana, had the best statistical game of his Lion career thus far. He went 18 for 20, throwing for 166 yards and three touchdowns. On the other end, the Javelinas went with a two-quarterback system. Zadock Dinklemann went 8 for 12 for 91 yards, and Shane Johnson completed four of his nine passes for 51 yards. 

Christian Anderson ran in a four-yard touchdown at the 1:19 mark in the third quarter, the first for Texas A&M-Kingsville on the night. Anderson was the Javelina’s leading rusher, gaining 66 yards on 15 carries. 

Magalei threw for his third touchdown of the game to Kenedy Snell (Waxahachie) for seven yards to make it 35-10. 

UP NEXT

The Lions open up a three-game homestand. A&M-Commerce hosts Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, October 2 at 6:00 pm, Saginaw Valley State on October 9 at 4:00 pm, and Eastern New Mexico on October 16 at 4:00 pm.

For the latest information on the A&M-Commerce athletic department, state tuned to LionAthletics.com.

Lions score fourth-most goals in a single match to beat the Falcons.

COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce soccer team scored the fourth-most single-match goals in program history to down the UT-Permian Basin Falcons, 8-0, at the Lion Soccer Field on Saturday afternoon. The eight goals are the most for A&M-Commerce in a match since 2015. 

The historic win for the Lions improves their season record to 3-3-1 and 1-1 in Lone Star Conference matches. The Falcons fall to 1-6 on the season and 0-2 in conference matches. 

Freshman Karalie Morrison (North Richland – Colleyville Heritage) scored her first-career hat-trick and seventh in program history. Senior Leslie Campuzano (Garland – Lakeview Centennial) had two goals and two assists. 

UT-Permian Basin surrendered a penalty in the ninth minute. Morrison converted the kick to put the first goal on the board for A&M-Commerce. 

The Lions’ second goal came less than two minutes later when Melissa Storrey (Tyne and Wear, England) broke away past the Falcons’ defense and received a pass from Campuzano to add another goal. 

A&M-Commerce falls in four at St. Edward’s

AUSTIN – Despite fighting off seven match points in a row, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team fell, 27-25 in the fourth set to the St. Edward’s Hilltoppers, who won Friday night’s match at the Recreation and Convocation Center by a score of 3-1. 

The Lions took the first set by a score of 29-27. However, St. Edward’s won the following three sets by 25-22, 25-19, and 27-25, respectively. A&M-Commerce falls to 1-6 on the season with the loss and 0-3 in Lone Star Conference play, while St. Edward’s is now 7-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. 

Maddy Rashford (Placentia, Calif.) had 17 kills, Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) had 38 assists, and Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Calif.) had 26 digs for the Lions. Karena Tipton (Midlothian – Heritage) had seven blocks in her first action of the year. 

The Lions were down 24-19 in the first set, but three-straight kills by Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum), an ace by Ashley Pennington (Frisco – Liberty), and an assisted block by Allen and Maiya Dickie (Huntsville) tied the set at 24. Both teams exchanged the following six points before an attacking error gave A&M-Commerce a chance to win the set, and it did on an ace by Vela, 29-27. 

St. Edward’s had a 14-8 lead in the second set, A&M-Commerce got to within one at 18-17, but the Hilltoppers took the set, 25-22 on a kill by Halle Sanders. 

The Hilltoppers fought back from an early deficit in the third set but won the set by 25-19. The two teams tied at nine, but the Lions did not take the lead at that point from the set. 

The fourth set was similar to the previous two sets, where it started balanced between the two squads, but the Hilltoppers took command in the middle of the set. They opened up a 24-17 lead and had seven chances to close out the Lions. 

St. Edward’s made an attacking error is 24-18, a kill by Allen, and two straight kills by Dickie made it 24-21. Hebert served up an ace to make it 24-22. 

A&M-Commerce got within one on a kill by Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) and tied the set on another ace by Hebert. 

The Lions had a chance to win the set at 25-24 thanks to an attacking error, but after an attacking error by the Lions tied the set, St. Edward’s won the next two points to win the match. 

St. Edward’s had the .208 to .150 edge in hitting percentage and 21-27 advantage in terms of fewest errors made. 

UP NEXT

A&M-Commerce travels to San Antonio to take on St. Mary’s at 2:00 pm on Saturday.

A&M-Commerce downs St. Mary’s to snap losing skid.

SAN ANTONIO – Narrowly taking two of the three sets by just two points, the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team swept the St. Mary’s Rattlers, 3-0, for its first Lone Star Conference win on Saturday at Bill Greehey Arena. A&M-Commerce won the three sets by 25-23, 25-17, and 28-26, respectively. 

The Lions snapped their three-match losing skid. They improved to 2-6 on the year, while the Rattlers fell to 7-4. St. Mary’s is 1-3 in LSC play. 

Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) led the way with 16 kills, Maddy Rashford (Placenta, Calif.) totaled 16 kills. Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) set up 44 assists, and Lyric Hebert (Arvada, Colo.) picked up 16 digs for the Lions in the stat sheet. 

Riley Davidson (Commerce) recorded 14 digs on Saturday. She is three digs away from 1,000 career digs. 

Vela had a double-double with 44 assists and 13 digs, while Allen fell two from the double-double. She had eight digs. 

A&M-Commerce took a 10-3 lead in the first set, thanks to an ace by Allen. Two-straight attacking errors pulled St. Mary’s to 18-17, but the Lions closed out the set, 25-23, on a kill by Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock – Stony Point). Gonelli had 12 kills in the match. 

The Lions had the early lead in the second set and led 6-3 on a kill by Maiya Dickie (Huntsville). Dickie recorded nine kills. Another 3-0 run by A&M-Commerce built up a 15-9 lead, and A&M-Commerce won the set on a kill by Allen, 25-17. 

The Rattlers stayed ahead in the fourth set, looking to extend the match, and led 11-6. However, the Lions were down 19-12 when they fought back in the set and tied it at 23. 

St. Mary’s won the point at 23-23 to have a set point. However, Rashford delivered a kill to tie it 24, and Davidson’s ace gave A&M-Commerce a match point. 

The Rattlers fought off the first match point, but the Lions got another chance to win on a kill by Allen and won the match via a kill by Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.). 

A&M-Commerce started the match, hitting a percentage of .217 in the first set but bounced back to hit .395 in the second set and .313 in the third. In the match, the Lions hit .303, and the Rattlers hit .180. 

UP NEXT

The Lions return home to host two matches next weekend at the Field House. Arkansas Fort-Smith comes into Commerce on Friday at 6:00 pm, and Oklahoma Christian takes on A&M-Commerce on Saturday, October 2 at 1:00 pm.

 

Message regarding significant institutional and athletics announcement

Texas A&M University-Commerce will be holding public events in Commerce and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Tuesday, September 28, related to a special announcement that will significantly impact the institution and its intercollegiate athletics program.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – Tuesday, September 28, 2021

11:00 am	Commerce (Nursing / Health Sciences Building)
3:00 pm.	Frisco (Toyota Stadium)