Todd Ryals

Volleyball Checks Another First Off the List

9/23/2017 9:18:00 PM

By: LC Sports Information - Brad Welborn

Box Score

In the year of firsts for the Louisiana College volleyball team, they checked another first off their list on Saturday evening on the final day of the first American Southwest Conference crossover. The Lady Wildcats down 2-0 to Hardin-Simmons would win their first set in program history 25-20 over the Cowgirls. LC went on to lose the match in the fourth set but history for the first-year program had been made. The Wildcats travel to East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau next week for two more ASC contests.

The Wildcats and Cowgirls were evenly matched through the first half of the first set of the day and traded points back and forth with LC trailing 10-9. It was at that point that HSU took hold of the set with the serve of Ashley Pierce. The Cowgirls scored 10 straight points to seize control and take the opening set 25-14 over the Wildcats.

HSU carried their momentum into the second set, scoring the first seven points of the set before Jaslyn Bright found one of her 11 kills of the night to get the Wildcats on the board. Seven errors in the second set kept the Wildcats from gaining any ground on the Cowgirls as they took the second frame 25-11.

In the third set, the Wildcats held an early lead on HSU, going up 8-6 on a pair of attack errors and a bad set from the Cowgirls. Hardin-Simmons responded with an 8-0 run after falling behind and went on top 14-8 and seemed as if they would carry their momentum to a three set match win, but the Wildcats would not back down. LC worked their way back to a four-point deficit at 15-11 and take control of the competition.

A kill from Sadi Jones brought the set within three and gave LC and Paris Babino the serve. Three HSU attack errors tied the game and another kill from Jones put the Wildcats on top 16-15. The Cats didn't stop there gaining points on a block from Jones and Bright, and an ace from Babino and they held a 20-15 advantage, just five points from their first set victory in program history. The Cowgirls scored two quick points to cut into the lead but another huge block from Bright and Jones and a kill from Jones pushed the Wildcats closer to finishing the set at 23-17.

Jones would add one more kill and the set ended with another error by the Cowgirls that gave the Wildcats what they had been looking for all season, a set victory, sending LC, for the first time, to a fourth set.

"There was a point where I think everyone felt like we were going to take the set," head coach Brittany Salloum said, "but no one was actually prepared for it to say 25 on our half of the scoreboard. The girls were so happy and it was all I could do to keep my composure."

Hardin-Simmons would squelch the Wildcats rally by taking a 12-2 lead in the fourth stanza and played probably their best 25 points of the night. They converted on 48.1% of their attack attempts in the final frame to cruise to a 25-12 fourth set win and a 3-1 match victory.

Jaslyn Bright and Sadi Jones led the attack for the Wildcats with 11 and eight kills respectively. They also recorded two key blocks in the Wildcats third set win. Paris Babino had a season best 26 assists along with a team high 12 digs. Olivia Huval added 11 digs of her own in the match.

The Wildcats travel to East Texas Baptist for match with the Tigers on next Friday and will make their way back to LeTourneau for a date with the Yellowjackets on Saturday. For the latest on Louisiana College volleyball follow @LC_wvolleyball on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

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