Box Score {cke_protected}{C}{cke_protected}{C}{cke_protected}{C}
LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International welcomed McMurry’s War Hawks, a Heartland Conference provisional member, to town on Saturday for a midday match essentially for bragging rights. And what a welcome it was, initially, as the Dustdevils spun out an impressive 25-21 victory in the first game before falling in the next three to lose 3-1 (21-25, 27-25, 25-16, 25-11) at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building.
The first two games were tightly matched, as the teams combined for a suffocating 11 score-tying plays and five lead changes. Although the final score may not show it, the Dustdevils dominated the first game while allowing only McMurry to lead only once before closing it down.
The second game was much tighter, as the final tally illustrates, with the opponents organizing several rallies to see-saw back and forth with four lead changes and five score-knotting maneuvers.
From there, TAMIU appeared to fizzle despite triple-threat at the net of Alex Ciszek (13 kills, 1 ace, 2 blocks), Toriana Goods (10, 1, 0) and team captain Miranda Pratt (10, 0, 1). Local product Lizzie Prieto, an Alexander High alumna, hand-fed the attack with 34 of the team’s 42 total assists.
Defensively, Desiree Ortiz led with 24 digs. Goods (19), Prieto (16) and fellow former Lady Bulldog Tierney Bannon-Coad (6) followed Ortiz’s shoveling; Pratt and Sophia Quinones each contributed five assists as well.
The Dustdevils (1-10, 0-4 Heartland) will return to the TAMIU KCB on Oct. 10 to face Dallas Baptist at 7 p.m. after a string of four consecutive road matches, starting with a non-conference visit to Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
