Stephen F. Austin
18-5, 6-1
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
9-11, 6-3
SFA Ends Islanders' Home Court Southland Streak with 3-2 Victory
10/14/2017 4:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Four Ladyjacks finish with double-digit kills led by Coleman's 16
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - There was no shortage of drama inside the Dugan Wellness Center Saturday afternoon, but by the time an almost two-and-a-half hour match came to an end, the Stephen F. Austin volleyball team had accomplished something no Southland Conference team had since 2014 - defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on its home court.
Haley Coleman turned in a big-time double-double consisting of 17 digs and a team-best 16 kills, the last of which ensured a 3-2 win for the Ladyjacks over the Islanders.
"I'm proud of our team and what we accomplished today, but at times we were a little too up and down," said head coach Debbie Humphreys. "The biggest thing we talked about, even in that fifth set, was that we had to keep executing. The balance we received today is what we have to continue to have if we want to continue being successful."
Coupled with a loss by Central Arkansas in Lake Charles, La., to McNeese, the Ladyjacks moved up to second place in the Southland Conference standings. SFA now sits just one game back of Sam Houston State who has not lost a league match.
Coleman was one of four Ladyjacks who sprung for 10 or more terminations through the five-set marathon. In addition to SFA's junior, Danae Daron drove down 14, Makenzee Hanna returned to the lineup and finished with 11 while Anyia Williams chipped in 10 more on the strength of a .500 attack percentage.
In addition to Coleman, both Ann Hollas (26 assists, 14 digs) and McKenzie Brewer (19 assists, 11 digs) finished with double-doubles. Defensively, Daron finished with a match-high six blocks to help SFA claim an 8-5 advantage in that category over the Islanders.
Through the first moments of the match, everything went according to plan for the Ladyjacks who received a pair of kills Coleman as part of a 3-0 run. The Islanders stopped that surge with a 8-1 run of their own to take an 8-4 lead.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi maintained an advantage of between one and four points until Anyia Williams became a larger part of the Ladyjacks' attack plan. With SFA trailing 19-16, the freshman slammed home three terminations as part of a 4-0 Ladyjack scoring spree to help the visitors go up for the rest of the frame.
Coleman and Danae Daron broke a 21-21 tie with by launching in one kill each during a 3-0 SFA run to put the visitors ahead 24-21. The Islanders made it a one-point match before Daron put the finishing touches on the Ladyjacks' set one win with her second termination of the frame.
Again it was Coleman who delivered a set-opening kill for the Ladyjacks in the second but in that frame the visitors could not complete a comeback after the Islanders went on their run. Three kills and one of the Islanders' three service aces in the frame put the hosts ahead 4-2 and SFA could never reclaim the advantage.
After four ties, the final one coming after another Daron kill made matters 9-9, the Islanders hit SFA with a 10-4 run that featured six kills and another pair of aces to take a 19-13 lead.
Down 20-15, SFA closed the gap with a 5-2 run that featured a kill and an ace from Ann Hollas to make matters 22-20 Islanders. An Islander service error on what would have been set point helped the Ladyjacks stay within two, 24-22, but a kill from Madeleine Doud gave the Islanders the win and knotted the match at one set each.
The Ladyjacks put their service game on display early on in the third as Cain launched a pair of aces while McKenzie Brewer added another during SFA's 8-3 run to start the frame.
SFA remained in control of the frame until Madison Woods' service game helped the hosts reclaim the lead. Woods countered Cain's pair of aces with two of her own during a 9-2 run by the Islanders that put SFA at a 17-13 disadvantage.
Although a 4-0 run by the Ladyjacks cut the Islanders' edge to 22-21, the hosts went on to take set three and go up 2-1. SFA closed to within one points on four occasions in the final stages of the frame before being denied.
Finally, in set four, SFA received the overpowering start it had been looking for. Coleman and Daron punched in kills and the Islanders committed a trio of errors during the Ladyjacks' 6-1 run to begin the frame.
Back-to-back errors by the Ladyjacks on the serve and the attack cut their lead to 15-14, but kills from Coleman, Hanna and Peyton Redmond represented the large part of a 5-0 run that pushed SFA's lead to 20-14. Five more kills, including another pair from Daron, laid the groundwork for the fifth and deciding set.
Everything broke the Ladyjacks' way offensively early on in the deciding frame. Hanna delivered a pair of kills and Hollas added one of her own to go along with a service ace as SFA surged ahead 7-1. SFA would need every point of that start as the Islanders closed to within one point on three occasions before Coleman's match-ending termination.
Ultimately, it was by the Islanders' untimely errors that SFA was aided in its win. The hosts committed four unforced miscues during the middle portion of the set that helped SFA move ahead 12-8.
The Islanders fought off two match point attempts by the Ladyjacks and cut SFA's lead to 14-13 after an attack error by Daron before Coleman closed things out.
Madison Green finished with a match-high 21 kills while Brittany Gilpin racked up 19 for the hosts. Woods had four of the Islanders' seven service assists in the loss.
The next opportunity the Ladyjacks get to return to the win column comes inside Shelton Gym on Tuesday evening. SFA starts a three-match homestand at 6:30 p.m. that evening by hosting Southland Conference adversary Southeastern Louisiana.
-SFA-
