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Graystone Becomes WTAMU's All-Time Winningest Coach With Sweep Over Eastern New Mexico
Oct. 28, 2003
West Texas A&M University head volleyball coach Tony Graystone became the program's all-time winningest coach with his 160th win as the Lady Buffs swept Eastern New Mexico, 3-0 (30-20, 30-25, 31-29), Tuesday in The Box.
The win was WTAMU's 23rd-straight over ENMU and the Lady Buffs' 40th-straight victory overall in The Box.
Graystone passes Debbie Hendricks' 159 wins from 1992-'98 and the fifth-year head coach is now 160-16 (.909). He was the fastest coach to reach 100 wins in the history of the NCAA, accomplishing the feat in only 106 matches.
WTAMU won its seventh-straight match and improved to 24-6 overall and 7-1 in Lone Star Conference South action. ENMU had its four-match win streak snapped and fall to 13-14 overall and 5-3 in LSC South play.
Freshman outside hitter Jessica Scherr pounded a match-high 21 kills (.500 hitting percentage) to spearhead the Lady Buffs' attack Tuesday, including the match's final four points, and fellow freshman outside hitter/middle blocker Ambra Clark tallied 13 kills.
Senior setter Kendra Morgan, who was named LSC South Setter of the Week Tuesday morning, dished out a match-high 49 assists and now needs just 51 assists to become the LSC's career assists leader.
Sophomore defensive specialist Libby Garza had a career-high 21 digs, one of five Lady Buffs with double-digit digs.
The Lady Buffs jumped out to a quick 11-3 lead in game one after a kill from Clark.
Another kill from Clark stretched WTAMU's lead to 19-11, before ENMU closed to 20-15. The Lady Buffs stormed ahead, opening a 26-19 lead after an errant Zia attack.
After three-straight WTAMU points put it at game point, 29-19, ENMU had a kill from Kelley McGinty before Morgan ended game one with a bloop kill to the back corner.
Both Clark and freshman outside hitter Rachel Altman logged five kills in the opening stanza.
WTAMU couldn't pull away from ENMU in game two, until at 18-16, the Lady Buffs had back-to-back kills from Clark and Scherr to go up 20-16.
The Zias charged back to within 21-20 on a kill from Anna Bellum, who along tied teammate Emilie Rodman for a team-high 11 kills.
However, WTAMU regained control with a 5-0 run, capped by a tandem block from Morgan and freshman Megan Spivey to extend to a 26-20 lead. Spivey had a match-high seven blocks on the night.
After a Zia kill, Spivey tallied a kill after a long rally to put WTAMU up 27-21 and forced a timeout by ENMU.
Coming out of the timeout, Clark pounded a kill and then Bellum served out-of-bounds, giving WTAMU game point, 29-21.
However, the Zias fought back and the Lady Buffs struggled to end the game, hitting the ball out-of-bounds to make the score 29-25 and make the 693 fans in attendance a little restless.
Clark ended the anxiousness with a kill to end the game at 30-25.
The third game started the same see-saw manner that began game two, as each team took turns opening a two or three point lead before the other team would charge back to tie it or take the lead.
ENMU opened a 26-22 lead after a kill from Rodman, forcing a WTAMU timeout. The Lady Buffs called timeout again, down 28-24.
A tip kill by Scherr over the ENMU defense made it 28-25 and Altman and Spivey teamed for a block to make it 28-26, forcing a Zia timeout.
ENMU then hit into the net, before WTAMU did the same, giving the Zias game point, 29-27.
Two-straight kills from Scherr tied it up and forced extra points, and ENMU again called timeout. Scherr pounded two more kills to end the game and the match at 31-29.
The Lady Buffs have won 14 matches via sweeping, including five of their last six.
It was the Zias' eighth time being swept.
WTAMU returns to action Thursday night, hosting Lubbock Christian at 6 p.m. at The Box.
On Friday, the Lady Buffs have a Halloween showdown with Abilene Christian on "Pack The Box Night" at 7 p.m., in a match that is essentially for all the marbles of the LSC South, as WTAMU fights for home-court advantage of hosting the conference tournament. The Lady Buffs will also be honoring their two seniors in a pre-match ceremony.
Saturday, WTAMU will have its regular-season home match by hosting Angelo State at 2 p.m., in a revenge match for the Rambelles halting the Lady Buffs' NCAA-II record for consecutive victories vs. conference opponents at 77-straight.
{Photo courtesy of Lauren Graystone.}
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