AUSTIN – Dallas Baptist won seven of the first eight points in the match on Friday night, but St. Edward's rallied to sweep the Patriots in a Lone Star Conference (LSC) tilt at the RCC. The Hilltoppers won the match by scores of 25-20, 25-18 and 25- .
After falling behind by six points to start the opening frame, St. Edward's head coach Stefanie Holler called a timeout to refocus her squad. Following the timeout, SEU reeled off a 12-6 spurt to tie the panel at 13-all. The two teams split the next eight points before a kill by
ALEXA MCANDREW gave the 'Toppers the lead for good. St. Edward's then won seven of the final 10 tallies to claim the opening set.
DBU and SEU split the first 22 points to start the second frame.
HAILEY REIER served up back-to-back points for the Hilltoppers, including a service ace that put the home team in front 13-11. With a 14-13 lead, McAndrew and
MAYA SMALLS fueled a 6-1 run for St. Edward's, pushing the advantage to 20-14. After trading the next six points,
NIKKI GRANT set up a winner from McAndrew, as SEU took a 24-17 lead. The Patriots managed to win the next point, but then
EMILY TRAN set up
KATARINA MENDEZ for the 25th point of the set, as the 'Toppers took a 2-0 advantage.
With momentum squarely on the side of the hosts, St. Edward's raced out to an 18-6 lead in the final panel. Six blocks allowed the Hilltoppers to take the big lead in the third set. DBU then claimed six of the next 12 points, but it was net play by Smalls and
KAITLYN KRAFKA that provided the final point on a block for the Hilltoppers.
St. Edward's held the Patriots to a .070 hitting percentage on the night, while the 'Toppers racked up a season-high 14 total blocks.
Meanwhile, McAndrew earned a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. Smalls posted a team-best 16.5 points on 10 winners with nine block assists. Tran's 19 assists were a team high, while
MADISON HEALD turned in 17 helpers.
The Hilltoppers will host No. 23 Tarleton State in a pivotal conference match on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the RCC.
#FearTheGoat
