AUSTIN, Texas – The Hilltoppers' defense left no room to breathe, suffocating Dallas Baptist and holding the Patriots to their lowest hitting percentage of the season, while KELLI FORDING repeatedly drove in the final nail of a four-set win (25-14, 25-16, 19-25, 25-16) for St. Edward's volleyball.
 
St. Edward's (6-8, 3-6 LSC) limited DBU (11-5, 5-3) to .078 hitting — marking the first time this season the Patriots have been held under .100.
 
Three Hilltoppers recorded double-digit digs to anchor a dominant defensive effort. DELANEY GREGORY tallied 10 digs and 22 serve receptions, helping St. Edward's side out at better than 70 percent in three of the four sets. GISELLE OJEDA steadied the back row with 11 digs and 15 receptions, neutralizing DBU's biggest swings, while setter ALTHEA MORRIS served as the bridge between front and back row, finishing with a match-high 12 digs and four block assists.
 
The ball found Fording early and often in the first set — and the floor soon after. The junior outside hitter tallied six of her career-high 22 kills in the opening frame, scoring from every angle and in every situation, combining volume with efficiency for a team-best .349 hitting percentage.
 
MIA CLAY provided an instant spark off the bench, notching five first-set kills to help build a 19-13 lead. From there, BEA ANGELES took over at the service line, closing the set on a five-point run bookended by a pair of aces to finish the 25-14 win.
 
St. Edward's carried that momentum into the second. Fording opened with back-to-back kills, and KAT NEILLE complemented her on the opposite pin with four kills on eight swings. The Hilltoppers hit .200 in the set while forcing DBU into negative territory in a 25-16 win built on relentless defensive pressure.
 
The Patriots briefly regrouped behind Karly Wells' seven kills in the third to take the frame, but St. Edward's quickly reasserted control in the fourth. Fording put down five more kills as Angeles and Morris steadied the serve line, and GRACE MCDONALD led a block that sealed the net shut.
 
When Fording's final swing landed, the crowd rose with her teammates — celebrating both the win and a performance that marked another step forward for the Hilltoppers' young offense.
 
Morris orchestrated the attack with 46 assists, distributing evenly to find Neille and Clay for 10 kills apiece, joining Fording in double figures. CARRINGTON JAIMES and McDonald continued their steady emergence in the middle, combining for nine kills.
 
St. Edward's returns to action next Saturday, traveling to San Antonio to face St. Mary's in the Battle of the Saints at 2:00 p.m