SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Angelo State volleyball endured a pair of five set matches and emerged with victories over Dallas Baptist and St. Mary's.
The Belles improved to 21-5, 8-2 LSC with the pair of wins in San Antonio. Dallas Baptist falls to 12-6 with the loss, while St. Mary's dropped to 5-16 on the season.
ASU saw several players set career highs on Friday. Morgan Seaton recorded a career high 16 kills against DBU and then reached another career milestone when she tallied five total blocks against St. Mary's. Alyssa Orr first added 15 kills then topped the career high with 23 kills showing in the day's second match.
Outside hitter Brianna Sotello fired in 21 kills and 12 digs in the initial competition then added another 23 kills and 14 digs in the second of the day. This marked the junior's 14th double-double of the season; Sophomore Abbie Lynn first rocketed in 14 kills against the Patriots, and then added another 16 against the Rattles. This marked her fourth consecutive match she has reached double-digits kills.
Maggi Jo Keffury dished out the ball 60 times taking over the 1000 assist mark for the season against DBU. She then returned in the second match and tallied 64 assist , a career high, for her second double-double of the day. The senior setter now has 11 double-doubles on the season. The senior hit a season high 22 digs against DBU.
Defensively, ASU saw several players with double-digit digs in addition to Sotello and Keffury. Ciara Sheppard tallied a season high 18 digs against StMU, while Mallory Davidson also marked a season high with 13 against DBU.
In the first match against Dallas Baptist, kills by Sotello, Lynn and Hanrahan gave ASU a 10-5 lead to start of the first set. The Patriots would hang around and eventually close out the lead bringing the two squads even at 23-23. Lynn then fired in a kill which was followed by a key Sotello, Hanrahan block to close out the set 25-23 giving the Belles a 1-0 set lead.
Down 9-7 in the second set, Seaton would get the Belles rolling with a 9-2 run which saw key plays by Lynn and Sotello. DBU climbed back to within two when Taylor Lee Seaton, assisted by Sotello, produced a block that got ASU back on track. The block kicked off a second large 8-3 run which saw Seaton finish the set as she had started it, with a kill. The Belles would take a 2-0 set lead into the break.
After allowing DBU to take an early 16-3 run in the third set, the Belles saw kills from Orr, Hasbrouck, Sotello and Lynn; however, ASU could not recover and dropped the set 25-14. The teams moved into the fourth set with the Belles holding on to a 2-1 lead for the match. ASU would see the same result in the fourth set with a 25-23 set loss tying the match and 2-2 and forcing a fifth set.
In the final set the Patriots got off to a quick start taking a 5-2 lead, when Seaton dropped in a kill to kick ASU off on a 5-0 run that would give the Belles the lead. The Belles would not relinquish and Sotello would put the match in the win column with a final kill shot set up by Keffury.
A quick 45 minutes later the Belles took to the court again to face St Mary's. Orr would get the Belles started in the first set when she rocketed in one of her 25 kills of the night. Midway through the two squads were tied at 18-18 when the Rattlers took the lead. Despite a late push led by Seaton and Orr, StMU would close the set out and take the 1-0 match lead.
ASU would rally in the second set with a .485 hitting percentage. After giving up the first point to St. Mary's, the Belles would come back to take the lead and would retain it through the set. After a late kill by Taylor Lee Seaton a Rattler attacking error would give ASU the set win and tie the match at 1-1.
In the third set the Belles would relinquish the first point to StMU and rally to take the lead once again. The Belles and Rattlers would go back and forth as neither team would gain an advantage of more than three points. ASU went on to win the third set 25-23 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
After dropping the fourth set and allowing the Rattlers to tie the match ASU would enter a fifth set for the second time of the day. The Belles took the lead early and would retain it throughout the set. StMU mounted a late rally that would bring them within one at a score of 10-9, however the Belles would go on a 5-1 tare to close the set out and give them the win.
Angelo State returns to action on the road at UT- Permian Basin on Tuesday Oct. 27 at 6 p.m.
