SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Texas A&M International University volleyball fell to St. Mary's in straight sets Friday evening inside Bill Greehey Arena.
The Dustdevils (7-10, 1-5 Lone Star Conference) battled closely with the Rattlers (10-6, 3-3 LSC) through the opening two frames before St. Mary's pulled away in the third to secure the 25-22, 25-22, 25-14 victory.
TAMIU stayed within striking distance throughout the opening set, which featured six ties and three lead changes. The Rattlers were able to create separation late, however, to take the opener, 25-22.
The Dustdevils produced their strongest offensive performance of the night in the second set, recording 13 kills with five errors on 32 attacks for a .250 hitting percentage. TAMIU again kept the set close, but St. Mary's closed out another 25-22 decision to take a 2-0 advantage.
St. Mary's carried the momentum into the third, hitting .321 while holding TAMIU to four kills. The Rattlers took the final frame, 25-14, to complete the sweep.
Sierra Sanchez paced the Dustdevils with nine kills on 19 attacks for a .316 hitting percentage. She added a team-high 10 digs, two blocks and 10.5 points to record a double-double.
Mia Molina followed with eight kills, while Fernanda Izar provided an efficient spark with four kills on five swings for a .600 hitting percentage.
Giulia Gainelli recorded a team-high 14 assists and two service aces, while Deanna Montgomery added 10 assists. Brianna Espinoza finished with six digs as TAMIU totaled 35 digs and five service aces.
St. Mary's finished the match hitting .260 with 39 kills, led by Laurene Robinson's match-high 16 kills. TAMIU finished with 27 kills and a .096 hitting percentage.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Sierra Sanchez led the Dustdevils with a team-high nine kills while hitting .316 against St. Mary's. Sanchez also collected a team-best 10 digs and added two blocks to finish with 10.5 points and record a double-double.
Sanchez is a sophomore outside hitter for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. A native of Laredo, Texas, Sierra is the daughter of Juan and Jennie Sanchez and was born on December 10, 2006.
