Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
Ladyjack Volleyball Silences Texas State
10/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 25, 2005
NACOGDOCHES - Lauren Railey and the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks silenced the Texas State Bobcats in a rematch of 2004's Southland Conference volleyball championship match with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.
"This was a must-win situation for us," said SFA head coach Debbie Humphreys. "We had to put a little extra distance between us."
Giving the Bobcats their third conference loss of the season, the Ladyjacks, who are 13-0 in conferece play, now have a three-match lead over Texas State, who sits with a 9-3 SLC mark.
After losing a close Game 1, 30-28, the Ladyjacks came back to take three straight from the `Cats, 30-22, 30-26, and 30-24.
"We were able to get great digs and rallies," said Humphreys, "and that got the momentum going. They like more of a side-out game so our main focus was to force them to rally. And I was glad to see that."
Railey, a Mesquite, Texas native, collected a career-high 23 kills and picked up 12 digs to nab her 11th double-double of her freshman campaign. Her .296 hitting percentage was tops on the Ladyjack squad. "I thought Railey did a fantastic job," said Humphreys. "I think both outside hitters did a great job."
Hitting alongside Railey on the outside was junior Laura Cramer who chipped in 16 kills and collected a career-high 24 digs for her 15th double-double of the season.
Senior Lauren Stevens and junior Traci Rohde also collected double-digit kills with 11 and 13, respectively. Sophomore JJ Jones dished out 56 assists and 13 digs on the night.
"I think the defense in Game 2 set the tone," said Humphreys.
Setting the tone were junior Stephanie Figgers, who collected 28 digs, and Rohde, who put together eight total blocks, her season-high.
Winning their 14th straight match, the Ladyjacks now have an overall record of 21-2. The Bobcats fell to 11-9 on the year.
After hosting Texas-Arlington on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Johnson Coliseum, the Ladyjacks are on the road to face Texas State and Texas-San Antonio on back-to-back nights.
"We're facing a tough road trip," said Humphreys. "Those matches take a lot out of you physically and emotionally so taking care of Texas State at home was crucial."
-SFA-
