| SPORTS
| OCTOBER 25, 2005
Volleyball
Mavs split weekend matches
While victorious over UTSA, Mavericks
fail to stop Bobcats
in Southland Conference play.
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| The Shorthorn: Chris Fox |
| Junior libero Ashley Smith,
left, prepares her game face as senior outside
hitter Ashley Van Antwerp gets ready to serve the ball
Friday night in Texas Hall. |
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By Princess
McDowell
The Shorthorn staff
The Mavericks volleyball team split the weekend’s home matches
for the second time this season. The team defeated UT-San Antonio,
3-1, Friday night but fell to Texas State on Saturday night by the
same score.
The Mavs (4-15, 2-8) snapped UTSA’s seven-match winning streak.
The first game stayed close behind the defensive play of both teams.
A 5-0 run, anchored by three kills from Roadrunners outside hitter
Rachel Tilson, put the team ahead for good and gave it a 30-22 victory.
UTA surged back in the second game. A 4-0 Roadrunners swing cut
the lead to two, but the Mavs responded with a run of their own
to push the lead back to six and win, 30-23.
The Mavs kept the heat on in the third game. Strong offensive moves
sparked a 9-2 run, highlighted by three straight kills from outside
hitter Torie Dacus. The Mavs never looked back and won the game,
30-19.
Game four was much of the same, as the home team pushed a 5-4 lead
to 13 points and took the game, 30-18.
The Mavs managed a .204 match hitting percentage while holding the
Roadrunners to just .092. Outside hitter Ashley Van Antwerp and
Dacus both registered double-doubles. Van Antwerp led the team in
kills with 15 while adding 13 digs, and Dacus posted 11 kills and
12 digs.
Dacus said the win felt amazing and that, in order for the team
to continue to win, it would have to maintain this same enthusiasm.
“We have to keep the same attitude and be more competitive,”
she said.
Against Texas State, the Mavs led the first game 10-4 before the
Bobcats tied it at 14. The score remained knotted until late in
the game at 24-24. The Bobcats pulled away with a 6-1 run to win
the game, 30-25.
The Mavs scored the first eight points of game two with the help
of five Bobcat attack errors. The team’s largest lead peaked
at 10 and the 30-20 victory tied the match at a game each.
The Bobcats returned from the 30-20 loss by taking the third game
with the same score behind balanced kill production.
Game four featured five kills from the top players on both sides
of the net; Van Antwerp and Bobcat middle blocker Brandy St. Francis.
The Mavs fought to within two at 20-22 but couldn’t get closer
as the Bobcats won the game, 30-23.
Van Antwerp had a game-high 26 kills and libero Ashley Smith added
18 digs.
Head coach Diane Seymour said one key to the team’s success
was its return to blocking and pursuit of every ball.
“We’ve gotten in the mindset that, ‘Hey, the ball’s
not down until it touches the wood, and I’m not letting it
touch the wood,’ ” she said.
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NEXT GAME:
7 tonight at McNeese State
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