LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International University volleyball picked up a four-set victory over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, defeating the Greyhounds 30-28, 20-25, 25-17, 25-22 inside the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building.
With the win, the Dustdevils improved to 6-5 overall, while Eastern New Mexico fell to 3-7.
TAMIU opened the match with a marathon first set that featured 15 ties and five lead changes. The Dustdevils ultimately prevailed 30-28 to grab an early advantage. Eastern New Mexico responded in the second, taking the frame 25-20 to even the match at one set apiece.
The Dustdevils regained control in the third set behind one of their strongest offensive stretches of the afternoon. TAMIU committed just two attacking errors and hit .243 in the frame, cruising to a 25-17 win and a 2-1 match advantage.
TAMIU closed the match in the fourth, holding off the Greyhounds for a 25-22 victory to secure the four-set win.
Sierra Sanchez led the Dustdevil attack with 13 kills on a .333 hitting percentage while adding 12 digs for a double-double. Mia Molina followed with 12 kills and six digs while hitting .226. Jaylah Lumar provided an efficient performance with six kills on 11 attacks, hitting a team-best .364.
The Dustdevils also caused problems from the service line, finishing with 10 aces. Sanchez and Mia Perez recorded three aces apiece, while Perez also paced TAMIU with 15 digs. Giulia Gainelli added 13 assists and 10 digs, while Deanna Montgomery led the team with 17 assists.
As a team, TAMIU finished with 49 kills on a .180 hitting percentage compared with 46 kills and a .148 mark for Eastern New Mexico. The Dustdevils also held a 10-5 advantage in service aces and recorded 15 block assists.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Sierra Sanchez powered the Dustdevils to a four-set victory over Eastern New Mexico, recording a team-high 13 kills on a .333 hitting percentage while adding 12 digs for a double-double. Sanchez also delivered three service aces and finished with a team-best 16 points in the win.
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.
