CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The University of Incarnate Word volleyball team dropped their match at Southland Conference leader Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday evening in three sets, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21.
           
The Cardinals (4-12, 2-5) struggled all night long dealing with the Islanders attack and they could not overcome 17 attack errors in the three sets.  UIW could only muster up a .183 attack percentage compared to a .239 attack percentage of the Islanders.

In the first set, the Cardinals jumped out to an early 3-2 lead with help from Angelique Vidaurri (San Antonio/Southwest HS) who had the first two kills for UIW. However, that would be the only lead of the set for the Cardinals as the Islanders took advantage of several errors from the Cardinals to take the set, 25-18.

The second set was the most competitive of the match and the Cardinals had a chance to win the set with a late run that fizzled out.  Once again, Vidaurri converted the first kill of the set to get things going for the Cardinals.  The Islanders put together a three-point run to take an early 4-2 lead.  Throughout the set, each team would trade points and a kill by Autumn Lockley (Leander/Leander HS) made the score 21-18 in favor of the Islanders.  After two kills by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Shaina Garza (San Antonio/Warren HS) would lead the Cardinals in a comeback attempt with three kills to bring the score to 24-22. Unfortunately, the run was not enough, as the Islanders would win the second set, 25-22.

In the third set, UIW started out slow, but like the second set they would mount a comeback to make the set close at the end.  After the Islanders jumped out to a 13-7 lead, the Cardinals would put together a four-point run to close the gap to 13-11.  The Islanders followed that with a run of three straight points to take a 20-15 lead.  Garza had a kill to bring the Cardinals within three at 24-21, but the Islanders would finish the set with a kill to make the final score 25-21.

For the match, Lockley led the Cardinals with 11 kills and an attacking percentage of .250.  Garza and Bryaunea Hall (Copperas Cove/Copperas Cove HS) each had eight kills. Taylor McClelland (Cypress/Cypress Ranch HS) and Kaitlyn Brooks (Sugar Land/Fort Bend Austin HS) directed the attack with 17 and 16 assists, respectively.  Jordan Reifsteck (Allen/Oswego East HS) led the team in digs with 13.

The Islanders finished with three more kills than the Cardinals.  Morgan Carlson led the team with 11 kills and a .409 attack.  Kristyn Nicholson dished out 29 assist while Kate Klepetka had 22 digs.

The Cardinals will continue their road trip with a stop in Houston on Saturday against Houston Baptist with a 1:00 p.m. start time.
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