ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Texas A&M International University volleyball wrapped up the Reddie-Tiger Invitational with a 2-2 showing across four matches Friday and Saturday in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
The Dustdevils opened the tournament with a sweep of host Henderson State before falling to Missouri S&T in four sets. TAMIU returned Saturday with a loss to West Alabama before closing the weekend on a high note with a straight-set victory over LeMoyne-Owen.
TAMIU 3, Henderson State 0
TAMIU began the weekend with a hard-fought sweep of Henderson State, taking the match 26-24, 25-21 and 29-27. All three sets featured competitive stretches, with the match producing 35 ties and 17 lead changes.
Mia Molina led the Dustdevil attack with 17 kills on a .279 hitting percentage, while Ece Özdemir followed with 16 kills. Andrea Nunez added nine kills and Jaylah Lumar contributed five.
Giulia Gainelli directed the offense with 43 assists and 14 digs, while Mia Perez recorded a team-high 15 digs and two service aces. Brianna Espinoza added 11 digs and two aces as TAMIU finished with 49 kills and hit .193 as a team.
Missouri S&T 3, TAMIU 1
The Dustdevils carried their momentum into the opening set against Missouri S&T, dominating the frame 25-10 while hitting .417. The Miners responded, however, winning the next three sets 25-16, 26-24 and 25-14 to take the match in four.
Özdemir and Nunez paced TAMIU with nine kills apiece, while Lumar added seven and Molina finished with six. Espinoza led the defensive effort with 14 digs, followed by Perez with 13.
Deanna Montgomery dished out 19 assists and Gainelli added nine as part of TAMIU's 39 assists. The Dustdevils also produced six service aces and 65 digs in the loss.
West Alabama 3, TAMIU 0
TAMIU opened Saturday against West Alabama, with the Tigers taking the match 25-20, 25-14 and 25-18.
Özdemir led the Dustdevils with nine kills and a .250 hitting percentage, while Molina added seven kills and three service aces. Nunez chipped in six kills and Montgomery finished with five.
Gainelli recorded 15 assists, Montgomery added 13 assists and six digs, and Caleigh Garcia supplied three service aces. TAMIU was held to a .119 hitting percentage as West Alabama finished the match hitting .403.
TAMIU 3, LeMoyne-Owen 0
The Dustdevils bounced back in their tournament finale, sweeping LeMoyne-Owen 25-23, 25-17 and 25-14. TAMIU improved offensively throughout the match and closed the third set without an attacking error, hitting .500 in the frame.
Özdemir delivered one of the strongest individual performances of the weekend, putting down 12 kills without an error on 20 attempts for a .600 hitting percentage. She also added three service aces and six digs to finish with a match-high 15 points.
Weronika Dziubek added six kills on 11 swings while hitting .455, and Fernanda Izar totaled five kills while hitting .500. Gainelli and Montgomery each handed out 11 assists, with Gainelli adding three aces.
TAMIU finished the match hitting .300, its best team percentage of the tournament, while holding LeMoyne-Owen to .141. The Dustdevils also recorded 10 service aces in the victory.
The Dustdevils leave Arkadelphia with a 2-2 tournament record and improve to 4-5 overall following the victory over LeMoyne-Owen.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Ece Özdemir provided a consistent offensive presence throughout the Reddie-Tiger Invitational. Özdemir totaled 46 kills across four matches, highlighted by 16 kills in the sweep of Henderson State and a dominant tournament finale against LeMoyne-Owen, where she recorded 12 kills with zero errors on 20 attacks for a .600 hitting percentage. She also added three service aces in the finale to help TAMIU finish the weekend with a 2-2 record.
Özdemir is a senior outside hitter for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Multidisciplinary Studies. A native of Antalya, Turkey, Ece is the daughter of Aydin and Derya Ece Özdemir and was born on April 17, 2003.
