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Lady Buffs Drop Thrilling Five-Gamer To Zias Tuesday
Oct. 12, 2004
The West Texas A&M University Lady Buff volleyball team lost a thrilling five-game match to the Eastern New Mexico University Zias, 3-2 (23-30, 40-38, 20-30, 30-25, 9-15), in a Lone Star Conference South Division match Tuesday night at The Box. The loss snaps WTAMU's 23-match winning streak vs. ENMU, dating back to 1995.
It also snaps WTAMU's four-match win streak overall, as the Lady Buffs are now 15-10 overall and are 0-3 in the LSC South standings, marking the first time ever that WTAMU has lost three-straight LSC South matches, and the first time since 1986 that WTAMU has had three losses in division or conference standings.
It was ENMU's fourth-straight win overall, as the Zias improve to 16-5 overall and 1-2 in LSC South action.
Freshman setter Erin Houlihan, who was named LSC South Setter of the Week earlier Tuesday, dished out a match and career-high 71 assists, at a whopping 14.20 apg average.
Junior middle blocker Cynthia Carter pounded a team-high 20 kills to lead four Lady Buffs in double-digit kills. Sophomore middle blocker Megan Spivey tallied 16 kills, while fellow sophomores, outside hitters Rachel Altman and Jessica Scherr added 14 and 13 kills, respectively.
Junior libero, who collected LSC South Defensive Player of the Week honors Tuesday, recorded a team-high 29 digs.
Spivey notched five blocks (three solo), while Carter and Altman added four sendbacks apiece.
ENMU also had four players in double-digit kills, led by Anna Bellum's match-high 22. Kelley McGinty added 18 kills, followed by 16 kills by both Lindsay Schiely and Emilie Rodman. Amber McCarthy dished out 36 assists, while Margie Goble distributed 28 assists.
Jessica Weeks notched a match-high 33 digs, and Grace George and Emilie Rodman each had five blocks, leading ENMU to a 10-9 team blocks advantage.
The Zias hit .206 for the match, compared to .133 for the Lady Buffs.
The opening game teeter-tawtered back-and-forth, beginning with seven lead changes until WTAMU took a 20-18 lead off a kill by Spivey.
ENMU rallied back to tie the game for the eighth and final time at 20-20, charging ahead to 29-20, taking advantage of six WTAMU errors in a row.
Spivey ended the 11-0 run with a kill, followed by back-to-back kills from freshman outside hitter Kolby Rhoades to close to 29-23 before McGinty ended the game at 30-23 with a kill.
The second game was even more gridlocked than the first, as the Zias took a 10-4 lead, before the Lady Buffs battled back to tie it at 10-all.
Neither team could get more than a two point advantage until WTAMU pulled ahead 23-20 after an attack error by George, and extended to a 26-23 lead, only to have ENMU pull back to tie at 27's.
Carter later gave the Lady Buffs their first game point, aggrandizing the home crowd to their feet.
That would be WTAMU's first of many game points, as ENMU wouldn't let the Lady Buffs pull away, even taking a 36-35 lead, only to see WTAMU bounce back for a 37-36 advantage.
Bell finally ended the elongated game at 40-38 with her lone service ace of the night.
There were a total of 26 ties and eight lead changes in game two.
From the start, the third stanza was a mirror image of the previous two, with the lead changing hands back-and-forth, until the Zias stormed ahead, 16-11, capatilizing on some timely attacking with some WTAMU errors.
The Lady Buffs closed to 18-17 on one of senior outside hitter Jill Steininger's nine kills in the match, but the Zias zoomed ahead and capped the third game at 30-20 on a Bellum kill.
With WTAMU on the ropes, the Lady Buffs battled back and took a 19-15 lead after consecutive kills from Scherr, and opened a 25-18 lead on a kill by Steininger.
ENMU closed the gap to 28-25, but a kill by Spivey was followed by an attack error by McGinty and WTAMU forced the fifth frame at 30-25.
In the fifth and final game, McGinty gave ENMU an 8-6 lead at the switch, and the Zias went on to take the game and the match at 15-9.
The Lady Buffs continue their homestand facing two more LSC opponents this week. WTAMU will host Tarleton State at the Event Center Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. as part of WTAMU Basketball Midnight Madness festivities. WTAMU will wrap up the weekend with a 1 p.m. match Saturday against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
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