AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's University Volleyball fell to Newman, 3-0, on Thursday night, but accomplished much more in its Play4Kay match, raising awareness for women's cancer and research. The match and funds raised were in support of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
MORGAN BECKHAM anchored a valiant Hilltopper effort with 19 digs against the second-ranked team in the Heartland Conference. On offense
KATIE MARTIN contributed eight kills while
MIKAYLA GRILL added seven.
JULIA HARTLEY recorded her third straight double-double with 13 assists and 12 kills, and
MADELYN PASHIBIN turned in four block assists.
"I thought our team fought hard and played very well against a talented Newman team," said head coach Mary DeJute. "Unfortunately we were unable to get over the hump on our attack. The bottom line is we have to hit better if we want to win a game like that. Our defense put us right there and we are really close to getting over the edge on offense. I look forward to what the rest of this season holds for our young and talented team."
The Hilltoppers were put on their heels in game one as the Jets took an early 10-5 lead. Back-to-back kills from Grill put St. Edward's within three at 10-7, but a .319 attacking percentage from Newman would push the visitors to a 25-19 win.
In game two the home team would give the visiting Jets a run for their money, taking leads at 10-19, 13-12, and 14-13. A late six-point run spelled doom for the Hilltoppers, ending the game in similar fashion, 25-19 in favor of Newman.
Coming out of the break, coach DeJute's team showed they were not going to give up easily, challenging the second-ranked visitors for each point. A four-point run for the Hilltoppers gave them a two-point lead at 11-9, but the power of Ashley Gonzalez on the Newman attack would be too much. A 25-20 final score clinched the win for the Jets.
St. Edward's continues its home stand on Saturday against top-ranked Arkansas Fort Smith. The Halloween-themed match starts at 12 p.m. with a candy bag available to all children, 12 and under. Fans who cannot make it to the Hilltop can follow along online with stats and video at GoHilltoppers.com.
