AUSTIN – For a night, everything came together for the St. Edward's volleyball team as the Hilltoppers led from nearly start to finish in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-12) dismantling of the Dallas Baptist University Patriots.
St. Edward's was stellar in almost every phase of the game, totaling 41 kills on a season-best .404 hitting percentage with 11 blocks and four aces, limiting Dallas Baptist to 35 kills on a .114 clip.
Senior HALLE SANDERS was at the head of a balanced attack set expertly by ESTHER GRUSSING and NATALIA WALLS, who each totaled 14 assists. Sanders had nine kills on an efficient .348 clip, followed by MAYA SMALLS' eight kills on a .350 hitting percentage, and CAROLINE SWAN and AUDREY QUESNEL with seven kills each on a .333 and .500 hitting percentage.
The first set was tightly contested early, with Dallas Baptist tying the score at 9-9 on a kill by Lindsey Otero. However, St. Edward's responded with a 16-8 run to close the set with a commanding 25-17 win. Walls directed the attack with six assists and two aces, directing passes to Smalls for five kills in the set and Swan for four kills on five attacks, leading to a team .407 hitting percentage.
St. Edward's carried momentum into the second set in a complete team effort. Six different Hilltoppers recorded a kill in the set, led by Quesnel's three kills on four attempts. Swan, Smalls, Sanders, and LOURDES GOMEZ each had two kills, and Grussing added another.
The Hilltopper defense was stifling at the net, recording six blocks, including back-to-back blocks by Quesnel and Smalls to score points 23 and 24 in the 25-12 win.
Gomez set the tone with the serve in the third set, recording two aces and keeping Dallas Baptist off balance to open a 6-1 lead. The Hilltoppers never looked back, getting a big set from Sanders with five kills on seven attacks and four kills on four attacks from AJANI HODGES, who finished with five kills on six attacks and six block assists.
St. Edward's improves to 9-16 with a 6-8 conference record after upsetting the second-ranked team in the Lone Star Conference. The Hilltoppers will close out the regular season with road matches against Texas-Tyler and Texas A&M International.
