SAN ANTONIO- The University of the Incarnate Word women's volleyball team defeated Houston Christian University (HCU) Thursday night in a match that went to four sets. The Cardinals handed the No. 1 Huskies their first conference loss this season.
The last time these two teams met, HCU won in three sets, but this time, the match was an entirely different game.
Risa Sena found the hot hand early and slammed down three kills to give UIW a 4-1 start at the beginning of the first set. The Cardinals held the lead throughout the entire first set, with their largest lead being six. Following her two aces, Taylor Stopps added a kill to her stat sheet to secure the twenty-second point for UIW. The energy for the Cardinals soared on from there. HCU caught a little momentum, in the end, to make it 24-20 for match point, but UIW ultimately took the set 25-20.
In the second set, UIW got out to an early 7-4 start following Husky attack errors. Back-to-back kills by Kyla Malone and another by Annamarie Alvarez put the Cardinals on top.10-4. Offensively, the Cardinals took charge as they racked in 14 kills in the set, in comparison to HCU's nine. A big block by the duo of Jacqueline Arrington and Alvarez gave UIW the extra drive they needed and completely closed off any Husky momentum that was to come . In a dominating fashion, the Cardinals took the set 25-17.
Houston Christian got a portion of its momentum back in the third. UIW jumped out to an early lead again (8-4) but runs were the name of the game. Both teams tied it up at 14 and points were then traded one after the other. UIW was the first team to 20 after Malone served an ace, but the lead (20-10) only lasted for a bit. The Huskies took control and won the tight set 25-23.
The fourth set brought the thriller to an all-time high. HCU took the lead first this time as they stretched out to a 5-3 advantage. A Husky attack error gave the Cardinals their fourth point and the edge they needed. UIW then went on an 8-2 run to take the lead back. A powerful kill by Sena took the Cardinals to 20 first. Just as the Huskies hit 18, Arrington and Stoops jumped for a monster block to lead a mini UIW run for a 23-18 lead. HCU built off a kill of their own to tie up the game at 24. Malone cleared an attack for the Cardinals with a kill deep into Husky territory, but the game tied again at 25. A service error was suffered by HCU and a block from Alvarez and Kade Thomas solidified the win for UIW.
Malone led all teams with a season-high 17 kills. Alvarez and Sena followed behind her with 14 of their own. Stoops also had a notable game with four aces and 45 assists, one of her best performances this season. Thomas also earned a season-high herself with a total of seven kills. Together, UIW tallied 51 kills, 11 aces, and a noteworthy 13 blocks.
The Cardinals play again Saturday, October 8 on the road at TAMU-CC. The Islanders are currently ranked number two in the latest Southland Conference standings.
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--UIW CARDINALS--
