AUSTIN, Texas – Senior middle hitter
TABITHA ELDER led by example on Thursday as St. Edward's volleyball took down Texas A&M-International 3-1.
Elder led the offense with 11 kills on .348 hitting, and also registered five total blocks. Junior
MADISON MCCLURG also had double-digit kills with 10 and capped off her double-double with 10 digs. Sophomore libero
MORGAN BECKHAM was stellar on defense with 35 digs.
The victory gives the Hilltoppers (9-12, 7-1 HC) a firm grasp on second place in the Heartland Conference. With the loss, Texas A&M-International falls to 1-16 overall and 1-7 in the league.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Beckham served eight-straight points to give St. Edward's a commanding 8-0 lead in set one.
- The Hilltoppers ended set one on a 6-0 run capped off by a service ace from Elder.
- Elder pulled St. Edward's within one at 13-12 in set two, but a 6-1 run by the Dustdevils was too much for the Hilltoppers.
- In set three, St. Edward's held Texas A&M-International to .022 hitting on the way to a 25-19 win.
- The Hilltoppers overcame a 5-1 deficit in set four, and capped off the match victory with a solo block by sophomore MIKAYLA PARKER.
HILLTOPPER NOTES
- Second-year head coach Mary DeJute has now surpassed her win total from last season.
- The Hilltoppers' defense continues to hold all Heartland Conference opponents under .200 hitting.
- St. Edward's is now 16-6 against the Dustdevils and owns a three-game winning streak in the all-time series.
- At 7-1, the Hilltoppers are off the best start in conference play since going 13-1 in 2011.
QUOTE BOARD: HEAD COACH MARY DEJUTE
"I honestly feel that we played quite sloppy. We had a lot of unforced errors and missed some crucial serves. In the beginning we were on it. Our middles were working very well, which was opening up the outside. Overall, I'm happy to come out with a win, but we definitely didn't play as well as I had hoped."
UP NEXT
St. Edward's will be back in action Saturday against St. Mary's at 12 p.m. in the Recreation and Convocation Center. The Battle of the Saints' tailgate will begin at 10 a.m. in the RCC parking lot. Live stats and video will be available at www.GoHilltoppers.com
GAME INFORMATION
Score: St. Edward's 3, Texas A&M-International 1 (25-18, 17-25, 25-19, 25-23)
Records: St. Edward's (9-12, 7-1 HC), Texas A&M-International (1-16, 1-7 HC)
Attendance: 142
For the latest information on the St. Edward's University Volleyball team, follow us on Twitter (@SEUVBall) and Facebook (facebook.com/SEUVBall, or visit us at www.GoHilltoppers.com.
