SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team fought tough against the Southland Conference regular season champs Stephen F. Austin, but ultimately lost in straight sets 25-23, 25-22, 25-23 Saturday afternoon at the McDermott Center.

The Cardinals were an overwhelming underdog coming into the match against a team that had played an undefeated conference schedule going 15-0 heading into the match and were on a current 15-match winning streak.

The Ladyjacks led by as many as seven points in the first set, 18-11, but the Cardinals went on a huge run winning 10 of the next 12 points to take the lead 21-20, which forced SFA to take their second timeout of the set.  After the timeout, the Ladyjacks won five of the next seven points capped by a kill from Jill Ivy to take the first set 25-23.

The second set was just as close. The score was tied 10 different times and the lead changed hands five times.  The Cardinals took a 12-11 lead on a kill by Shaina Garza (San Antonio/Warren HS) and led by as many as three, 15-12, after a service ace from Garza.  The Ladyjacks then went on to win six of the next seven points.  There were a few controversial calls reversed by the referees in the set, which just added to the excitement of the match.  The Ladyjacks took advantage and again won six of the last seven points to win the second set, 25-22.

The Cardinals had their biggest lead of the match in the third set when they took a 6-2 lead early in the set, but saw it disappear right away, as SFA took the next four to tie it 6-6.  UIW again found themselves with a four point lead, 16-12 thanks to three kills from both freshman setter Madison Williams (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) and Garza. The Cardinals tied the score 23-23 with another kill from Garza, but the Ladyjacks finished the set and the match with back-to-back kills from Keeley Kainer and Ivy.

Williams had one of her best offensive matches of the season getting nine kills on a .417 hitting percentage, while also dishing out 29 assists. Garza led the team with 10 kills and completed the double-double with 12 digs.  Brittani Dear (La Vaernia/La Vernia HS) led the team with 15 digs and added nine kills for the Cardinals. Senior middle blocker Meaghan Patterson (Helotes/O'Connor HS) was honored for senior day after the match.  Patterson had three total blocks and two kills in her last home game as a Cardinal. The Cardinals had an attack percentage of .122 with 42 kills, 49 digs and four blocks.

The Ladyjacks finished the regular season on a 16-match winning streak and won the Southland Conference regular season with an undefeated record, 16-0.  Ivy led SFA's offense with nine kills and four total blocks.  Paige Holland had 29 assists and OJ Olson led the team with 10 digs.  The Ladyjacks finished the match with 34 kills on .167 hitting, 44 digs and eight total blocks.

The Cardinals finished their Southland Conference schedule with a 6-10 record. They will finish the season on the road at the Grand Canyon University Invitational starting next Friday when they play the New Jersey Institute of Technology and GCU in Phoenix, Arizona.  Then Saturday, they finish against Omaha and University of UMass-Lowell.
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