Ladyjacks Open SMU Doubletree Invitational with Pair of Friday Matches

Friday, August 27

Dallas, Texas

10:00 AM

Stephen F. Austin

0-1,0-0WAC

North Carolina

1-0,0-0ACC

SFA

North Carolina

Ladyjacks Open SMU Doubletree Invitational with Pair of Friday Matches

8/27/2021 2:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- The Ladyjack volleyball team opened up its 2021 slate with a hard fought match against the University of North Carolina on Friday in the opening match of the SMU Doubletree Invitational. The 'Jacks hung tight in each set but fell by scores of 25-19, 25-22, 25-22 to move to 0-1 on the young season. The Ladyjacks also fell in the nightcap versus host SMU by a tally of 25,17, 25-15, 25-22.

MATCH ONE
The Ladyjacks took a quick 2-0 lead in the opening set before UNC went on a pair of 6-1 runs to take a 12-4 run midway through the set. SFA trimmed the lead to 14-10 thanks to a block by Ielan Bradley and Kelsey Harrington, two service aces by Harrington and a kill by Ariana Pagan on consecutive points. UNC would extend the lead out to 17-10, only to see SFA trim it down even further with a 5-0 run to get it to 17-15. From there, the rest of the set consisted of the two teams trading points back and forth, before UNC reeled off three straight points from 22-19 to finish off the set.

In the second set, SFA would once again open up a quick 2-0 lead, and would extend their lead out to a set-high four points (9-5) on kills by Bradley and Valeria Rosado and an attack error by the Tar Heels. A 9-2 run by UNC reversed the tides and gave them a 15-11 lead, which they would not relinquish the rest of the way. A 5-0 run by SFA, punctuated by a pair of kills from Bradley, an ace by Ortega and two UNC errors, got the 'Jacks within one at 22-21, but UNC won three of the next four points to take set two, 25-22.

The third set was punctuated by back and forth play in which the two teams exchanged smalls leads back and forth for the opening half of the set. Late in the set, SFA would take a 19-17 lead off a kill by Pagan and an ace from Harrington, but a 8-3 run by the Tar Heels flipped the script and saw them round out the match in straight sets with a 25-22 victory.

LADYJACK NOTABLES
• Ielan Bradley led the 'Jacks with eight kills on the day, while Taya Mitchell record six and Payton Cerny, four.
• Harrington had a match-high three service aces.
• Maddy Borque finished with 11 assists, which Trinity Funderburk recorded eight.
• Ortega led SFA with 15 digs, while Pagan had eight and Funderburk, seven.

MATCH TWO
In the nightcap versus the host Mustangs, the Ladyjacks were undone by the hot-hitting Mustangs, who compiled a .368 attack percentage across three sets. Ielan Bradley led SFA again in kills, notching 12, while Leah Powell had ten for SFA, which recorded a .176 hitting percentage. Borque (18) and Funderburk (12) each tallied double-digit assists in the match.