CANYON, Texas – Texas A&M International volleyball fell to West Texas A&M in straight sets Saturday afternoon at the WTAMU Fieldhouse "The Box."
The Dustdevils (6-8, 0-3 Lone Star Conference) dropped the match 25-15, 25-21, 25-16 to the Lady Buffs (6-7, 1-1 LSC).
West Texas A&M established control early, taking the opening set 25-15. TAMIU responded with its strongest offensive performance of the afternoon in the second set, recording 13 kills with just three errors on 39 attempts for a .256 hitting percentage. The Dustdevils stayed within striking distance throughout the frame before WT closed it out, 25-21.
TAMIU continued to challenge the Lady Buffs early in the third, with the set featuring seven ties and four lead changes. West Texas A&M eventually created separation and finished the match with a 25-16 victory. The match featured 13 ties and six lead changes overall.
Andrea Nunez led the Dustdevils offensively with eight kills and added two block assists for a team-high nine points. Mia Molina followed with seven kills, while Fernanda Izar and Jaylah Lumar contributed four kills apiece. Izar was efficient in limited opportunities, finishing with four kills on five attacks without an error for a .800 hitting percentage.
Giulia Gainelli directed the offense with 18 assists, while Deanna Montgomery added seven. Montgomery and Mia Perez each recorded two service aces, with Perez also leading TAMIU defensively with 12 digs.
As a team, TAMIU finished with 28 kills, 28 assists, four service aces and eight block assists while hitting .065. West Texas A&M totaled 41 kills and hit .277 for the match.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Andrea Nunez led the Dustdevils offensively against West Texas A&M, finishing with a team-high eight kills and nine points while adding two block assists. Nunez provided a consistent attacking presence for TAMIU across all three sets.
Nunez is a sophomore right-side hitter for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Public Health. A native of Laredo, TX, Andrea is the daughter of Lizette Gutierrez and Pablo Nunez and was born on July 13, 2006.
