RECAP: Ladyjacks Win Thursday Night Five-Set Thriller to Stay Tied for First Place

Thursday, November 5

Nacogdoches, TX

6:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

17-9,11-2Southland

McNeese

10-14,6-7Southland

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
McNeese	15	25	17	29	12	2
SFA	25	15	25	27	15	3

Game Notes (PDF)

Caroline Kahle screaming after winning point vs McNeese (11.5.26)

11/5/2026 10:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Amanda Paver, Assistant Director of Communications

NACOGDOCHES, Texas- Stephen F. Austin (17-9, 11-2 Southland) rallied from an 11-10 deficit in the fifth set to defeat McNeese (10-14, 6-7 Southland) 3-2 on Thursday. SFA finished with 72 kills and a .248 hitting percentage while holding the Cowgirls to 61 kills and .178. The Ladyjacks finished with five reaching double figures in digs for the first time since a four-set win over Grand Canyon on November 9, 2023.

The opening set stayed level through 8-8 before SFA moved in front with an attack error by the Cowgirls, a Caroline Kahle kill and another Cowgirls error for an 11-8 lead. After the Cowgirls scored the next point, Kahle had back-to-back kills around an Izzy Orton service ace, and SFA pushed the margin to 15-9 on a block by Creecy and Molly Cravens. The Cowgirls stopped that stretch once, but SFA answered with Cravens kills on consecutive points, an attack error, an Avery Koonsen kill and Koonsen-Creecy block to reach 20-10. The Cowgirls later scored three straight to cut SFA's lead to 23-15, but Koonsen's kill brought set point, and Katherine Holtman finished the 25-15 set with a kill from Aniston Collins.

The Cowgirls opened the second set with three straight kills and later used a kill and SFA errors to build a 9-3 lead. After a Holtman kill made it 13-8, Koonsen served SFA through four straight points, including a block by Kahle and Jordan Henderson and Koonsen's ace, to cut the margin to 13-12. The Cowgirls answered with kills on four of the next five points to move ahead 18-12, then reached set point on an ace before a Cowgirl kill closed the set 25-15.

The third set stayed level through 11-11, with SFA answering the Cowgirls' early 6-4 edge behind kills from Koonsen, Cravens and Kahle. Cravens put SFA back in front with a kill, and the Ladyjacks won seven of eight rallies to move ahead 18-12, a stretch that included a Holtman-Henderson block, kills by Henderson and Koonsen, and back-to-back Kahle kills from Collins. The Cowgirls cut into the margin with two kills and an ace to get within 19-16. SFA closed by taking six of the final seven points, with Creecy, Cravens and Koonsen contributing kills and a Creecy-Cravens block helping finish the set 25-17 to give the Ladyjacks a 2-1 lead.

After the Cowgirls scored the first three points, SFA pulled even at 6-6 on Koonsen's ace and Henderson's block. The Cowgirls moved back in front 15-12, but SFA stayed close with kills from Koonsen, Henderson and Holtman to tie the set at 17-17. The Cowgirls led 20-18 before SFA scored four straight points, including a Cravens kill, a Creecy block and consecutive Koonsen kills, and Cravens added another kill for a 23-21 lead. SFA reached 24-22, but the Cowgirls tied it at 24-24, and after SFA went ahead three more times in extra points, the Cowgirls scored the final three points to take the set 29-27.

After Koonsen opened the fifth set with a kill, the Cowgirls scored three straight points to move ahead 3-1 before SFA pulled even at 4-4 on a Holtman kill and went in front 5-4 on an attack error. The set stayed tight from there, with the Cowgirls later leading 9-7 before back-to-back Kahle kills tied it at 9-9, and Cravens answered a service error to bring SFA level again at 11-11. SFA took four of the final five points, moving ahead on a Cowgirls attack error and a Kennedy Jones ace, then reaching set point on Koonsen's kill before Collins served an ace to close the set 15-12.

PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
• Molly Cravens- 19 kills (led team & new career high), .432 hitting percentage, 4 blocks
• Avery Koonsen- 16 kills, 20 digs, 2 service aces
• Cambry Saul- 22 digs (led team & new career high)
• Jordan Henderson- 8 kills, 7 blocks (tied team lead), including 2 solo
• Kyanna Creecy- 7 blocks (tied team lead), passed MC Bottles for 8th All-Time blocks
• Izzy Orton- 29 assists (led team & new career high), 11 digs

NEXT UP
Up next, SFA volleyball hosts Nicholls for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 12 p.m. at Shelton Gym. The Ladyjacks will honor five seniors after the match: Cambry Saul, Caroline Kahle, Madi Zorn, Kyanna Creecy, and welcoming back Tanishua Joseph.

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