LAREDO, Texas — Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) volleyball celebrated Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building, honoring seniors Mia Molina and Ece Özdemir before falling to Angelo State in straight sets (18-25, 16-25, 16-25).
Despite the loss, the Dustdevils (8-20, 2-15 LSC) were led by a strong performance from Molina, who finished with a team-high 11 kills on a .300 hitting percentage while adding eight digs. Özdemir contributed seven kills, six digs and a block assist in her Senior Day appearance.
Freshman Andrea Nunez added nine kills and two block assists, while Sierra Sanchez chipped in five kills. Defensively, Mia Perez led TAMIU with 12 digs, followed by Deanna Montgomery with 10 digs and 15 assists. Izabela Tapia contributed 14 assists and a service ace.
TAMIU opened the first set with energy, jumping out to an early 3-0 advantage behind consecutive kills from Nunez and a combined block from Nunez and Jaylah Lumar. Angelo State responded with a scoring run to take control, but the Dustdevils continued to battle behind Molina and Özdemir before dropping the opening frame, 25-18.
In the second set, TAMIU recorded its most efficient offensive performance of the afternoon, hitting .281 with 15 kills. Nunez and Sanchez helped keep the Dustdevils within striking distance, but the Rambelles used a late scoring surge to secure a 25-16 victory.
The third set saw TAMIU rally from an early deficit to take a 5-4 lead following back-to-back kills from Molina and a service ace from Montgomery. The Dustdevils continued to compete, with Molina and Ozdemir contributing key points, but Angelo State pulled away to complete the sweep, 25-16.
Angelo State (27-1, 17-0 LSC) was led by Madi Parrish with 11 kills, while Julia Hopkins added 10. The Rambelles finished with a .312 team hitting percentage compared to TAMIU's .138.
Prior to the match, TAMIU recognized Molina and Özdemir for their contributions to the Dustdevil volleyball program. Molina, a Laredo native and four-year member of the program, reached the historic milestone of 1,000 career kills earlier this season, becoming just the fourth player in program history to accomplish the feat. Ozdemir, a native of Antalya, Turkey, joined the Dustdevils after previous stops at Idaho State and Northwestern Oklahoma State, making an impact on the program during her time in Laredo.
The afternoon served as an opportunity to celebrate both seniors and their dedication to the Dustdevil volleyball program as TAMIU concluded its home schedule.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Senior outside hitter Mia Molina led the Dustdevils in her final home appearance, recording a team-high 11 kills on an impressive .300 hitting percentage while adding eight digs against Angelo State. The Laredo native continued to showcase her offensive consistency, capping off Senior Day with another strong performance. Molina, who became just the fourth player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills earlier this season, leaves a lasting legacy with the Dustdevil volleyball program.
Molina is currently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. A native of Laredo, TX, Mia is the daughter of Rolando and Maricela Molina and was born on April 12, 2005.
