LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International University volleyball opened Lone Star Conference play with a five-set battle against Dallas Baptist University on Tuesday evening, falling 3-2 inside the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building.
The Dustdevils (6-6, 0-1 LSC) took the opening set before DBU (8-2, 1-0 LSC) responded to take the next two. TAMIU forced a deciding fifth set with a win in the fourth, but the Patriots closed out the match with a 15-12 victory. The final set scores were 25-19, 23-25, 21-25, 25-21 and 12-15.
TAMIU came out strong in the opening frame, hitting .333 while holding DBU to a .167 clip. The Dustdevils used the efficient start to claim the first set, 25-19. DBU answered in the second, edging TAMIU 25-23, before taking a 2-1 advantage with a 25-21 victory in the third.
Facing the possibility of a four-set defeat, the Dustdevils responded in the fourth. TAMIU took the set 25-21 to extend the match and set up a winner-take-all fifth frame. The deciding set featured three ties and two lead changes before DBU secured the final points for the 15-12 win.
Mia Molina led the Dustdevil attack with a match-high 19 kills while committing just three errors on 34 attempts for a .471 hitting percentage. Molina also added 11 digs and a service ace to finish with 20 points. Andrea Nunez and Sierra Sanchez each added 12 kills, with Nunez contributing seven block assists and Sanchez recording a team-high five aces and 16 digs.
Jaylah Lumar supplied eight kills on a .353 hitting percentage along with seven block assists, while Ece Ozdemir finished with eight kills and four block assists. TAMIU's setters split the workload, as Giulia Gainelli and Deanna Montgomery each recorded 25 assists. Gainelli also posted three aces and 10 digs, while Mia Perez contributed 15 digs, five assists and two aces.
As a team, TAMIU finished with 59 kills and hit .277 for the match, compared with DBU's 70 kills and .265 hitting percentage. The Dustdevils also held advantages in service aces, 12-5, and total blocks, 12-7.
The loss moves TAMIU to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in Lone Star Conference play.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Mia Molina powered the Dustdevil offense with a match-high 19 kills, hitting an impressive .471 with just three errors on 34 attacks. Molina added 11 digs and one service ace to complete the double-double and finish with a team-high 20 points.
Molina is a senior outside hitter for Texas A&M International University and 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.
