STEPHENVILLE, Texas - St. Edward's dropped a 3-1 match to Tarleton State Tuesday evening at the TSU Volleyball Gymnasium. The loss snaps its four-match win streak and brings the Hilltoppers' overall record to 14-3.
 
All four sets were close as both teams battled hard in the non-conference matchup. Tarleton took the first set, 25-21. The TexAnns kept the Hilltopper offense at bay with a hitting percentage of .051.
 
However, St. Edward's would find a way back into the match. The visitors took a 7-3 advantage in the opening of the second set. From that point, the Hilltoppers held on to the lead until the final kill that gave them the 25-20 victory. They saw a .333 hitting percentage in the set.
 
The third set saw another strong start from St. Edward's. Three Hilltopper kills and an ace brought the score to 13-6. Later in the set, a four-point run from the TexAnns evened the match, 17-17. The home team continued to chase down St. Edward's, locking it up four more times. Despite trailing most of the set, Tarleton State delivered when it counted and finished ahead, 27-25.
 
The match stood at 2-1 in favor of Tarleton State entering set four. Tied at 9-9, the TexAnns kicked it into another gear. Although St. Edward's came within three points on two occasions, it could not overtake the home team who went on to finish the set, 25-19, giving them the match.  
 
Coming off a record-breaking week, HANNAH RAUCH tallied 16 kills and a .224 hitting percentage resulting in another notable performance. ELISSA STANTON registered five blocks in a great defensive effort. KELLY JIMENEZ recorded 22 digs and LOREN KELLY contributed 25 assists. 
 
The Hilltoppers return to Austin with three-consecutive home matches on the upcoming schedule. Thursday evening they will take on Oklahoma Panhandle State in a Heartland Conference matchup at 7 p.m. in the Recreation and Convocation Center. Live coverage and statistics will be available on the Hilltopper Athletic Website.