Krista Pylant
Sports Editor
@KristaPylant8
Despite falling in the first set, the Aggie volleyball team battled back to defeat Texas A&M-Commerce (24-26, 25-19, 26-24, 25-22) on Nov. 7.
The win moved Cameron’s overall season record to 16-7, and the Aggies are 7-7 in Lone Star Conference play.
Cameron’s offense was guided by Paige Dixon, Jordan Williams and Jenna Gillean who paced the Aggies with an even 13 kills each.
Williams added 11 digs to record her seventh career double-double, while Madison Holle had 36 assists, her career high. Cristina Viera led CU’s defense with 34 digs in addition to recording 3 aces.
Overall, Cameron recorded 60 kills, 89 digs, 9 blocks and a .233 attacking percentage, while Commerce registered 59 kills, 58 digs, 9 blocks and a .188 hitting clip.
The Aggies started set one strong but ran into trouble when Commerce went on a nine point run to take their first lead of the set, 17-10.
However, CU battled back to tie the set at 18 after errors began to unravel the Lions.
The set tied again at 20, and the Aggies went on a three point run following kills from Williams and Gillean to take the lead, but the Lions would catch up, tying the set once more at 24-24.
Two back-to-back kills from Commerce awarded the Lions the first set, 26-24.
CU began set two with a 3-0 start, but three Aggie attack errors and two Commerce kills brought the Lions the 5-3 advantage. Off a 6-6 tie, Cameron grabbed the lead back after Williams put down a kill.
The Lions were two points back of CU at 14-12, when the Aggies went on a four point chain to widen their lead to 18-12. Cameron held the advantage, taking set two, 25-19.
Four kills and a block brought Texas A&M Commerce an early 5-0 edge to start set three. The Aggies worked to tie the set at six helped by three kills and a block assist from Dixon and then grabbed a 7-6 lead following a Lion attack error.
Back and forth action ensued as the set tied six times, with the Lions robbing the lead.
Cameron knotted the score three more times late in the set and remained down until the final tie at 24-24 where the Aggies would win 26-24 following a kill from Williams and a Commerce attack error.
In set four, the Aggies held the lead until Commerce went on a five point chain off of four kills to lead, 13-9.
Both sides traded the lead, knotting the set for the final time at 21 before Cameron scored three to reach set point, 24-21.
The Lions would get in a kill, but CU’s Dixon would put down a kill to win the set, 25-22, and match.
Summer Alford led Texas A&M-Commerce (15-12) with 15 kills on the night.
The Aggies will conclude their regular season schedule at home Nov. 13-14 for matches with Angelo State and Tarleton State.
Tarleton and Angelo sit at one and two in the Lone Star Conference standings. The Aggies lost to both teams on the road earlier this season.
Against Tarleton, Cameron controls the overall series 24-15 while holding a 14-7 record in the Aggie Gym. Cameron has dropped their last 12 matches to the TexAnns with their last home victory dating back to 2006 when the Aggies swept TSU in straight sets.
Tartleton is 25-3, winning four of their last six games after falling to non-conference opponents Lubbock Christian and Newman. The TexAnns are 13-1 in Lone Star Conference (LSC) play, with Angelo State being their only conference loss.
Angelo State holds a 12-28 overall record against the Aggies, with Cameron’s last home win versus the Rambelles coming in the 2004 season.
The Belles are riding a seven-game winning streak to bolster their record to 26-5 on the season with a 12-2 conference tally.
The Aggies climbed up into the top eight in the NCAA South Central Region with the release of the second of three postseason polls on Wednesday afternoon.
The regional poll is comprised of teams from the Heartland, Lone Star and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences with three slots reserved for a league tournament champion. The other five slots go to at-large bids.
Cameron has qualified for the NCAA National Tournament twice in program history in 1998 and 2001. Prior to this season Cameron, has not appeared in the regional poll since 2006. Angelo and Tartleton are the top two teams on the poll.