Volleyball Swept in Opening Round of Conference Tournament

Box Score

FORTH SMITH, Arkansas - The 2012 Volleyball season came to an abrupt end Thursday night, as TAMIU was swept out of the conference tournament by host Arkansas Fort Smith in straight sets (22-25, 18-25, 9-25).

"We played very uncharactaristically tonight," said Head coach Marlon Sano. "We played very tight and were unable to break out of it. We made great strides this season and I'm very proud of this group. Although we know we have areas to grow, we're excited to continue in representing out department, the university, and the Laredo community."

The Dustedvils hit only .088 for the match committing 21 errors, while Fort Smith advanced to Saturday's championship round to face St. Edward's University, who upset Dallas Baptist in four sets in the nightcap.

Alex Ciszek led TAMIU recording a game high 11 kills with a .333 attack percentage. The sophomore also added nine digs, finishing just shy of a double-double. Senior Daria Winckler racked up a game high 27 assists to go along with eight digs and three kills, while Desiree Ortiz tallied 21 digs.

The Lady Lions extended their overall winning streak to 16 matches and pushed their home winning streak to 14 matches. UAFS has now won 22 consecutive matches against conference teams.

It will be a rematch of last season’s title match, which UAFS won in four sets on St. Edward’s home court. It will be the ninth meeting between UAFS and St. Edward’s in the all-time series, which UAFS leads 5-3. The Lady Lions, who were the first team since 2006 to go undefeated in conference play, swept the Hilltoppers during the regular season, winning 3-0 on the road and 3-1 at the Stubblefield Center.

The Dustdevils conclude the 2012 season with an overall record of 15-12, the team’s first winning record since 2006 when the Dustdevils went 24-5 as a provisional member of the Heartland Conference.

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