AUSTIN, Texas — On Senior Day, in her final collegiate swing, St. Edward's ADDY BADLEY made sure the last word belonged to her. The senior rose on and hammered home the exclamation point, sealing a four-set (25–15, 23–25, 25–16, 25–23) victory over Western New Mexico in the Hilltoppers' season finale.
The post-match celebration honored the program's past, recognizing Badley and former captain JORDAN CHAPMAN, who transitioned from on-court leader to coaching staff this season. But the match itself hinted at a future beginning to take shape.
Freshman middle GRACE MCDONALD announced herself on the very first rally, teaming with Badley for a stuff block on Jayden Hughes. From there, sophomore outside MIA CLAY took over the opening frame, uncorking eight kills on a clean .400 clip to power a 25–15 start that looked every bit like a team in command.
Western New Mexico pushed back in the second. St. Edward's opened flat, trailing 7–4 before setter Jaiden Lavanway and outsides KAT NEILLE and LANDRY BAUGHMANn came off the bench to steady the rhythm. The Hilltoppers surged behind back-to-back kills from CARRINGTON JAIMES and Baughmann to take a 15–14 lead, forcing a quick Mustang timeout. But St. Edward's couldn't quite solve the block, tallying more attack errors (10) than kills (8) in a tight 25–23 loss.
Clay recalibrated the match in the third, blistering seven kills on .600 hitting as St. Edward's dialed up pressure from the service line. Setter ALTHEA MORRIS ran a crisp, balanced offense with 13 assists, and the Hilltoppers needed just 28 swings to dispatch the Mustangs, 25–16, and reclaim control.
The final frame belonged to a team refusing to let the moment slip. Clay added six more kills on .385 hitting. Badley, in her farewell, uncorked four error-free kills on seven swings. McDonald anchored a dominant presence at the net, collecting four block assists as SEU racked up 6.5 team blocks in the set. And fittingly, it was Badley—steady all afternoon with nine kills and five block assists—who delivered the final blow.
Clay erupted for a career-high 22 kills on .360 hitting, adding two blocks for a match-best 23 points. Clay finishes her sophomore campaign on a high note, reaching double-digit kills in three consecutive matches and six of St. Edward's final nine games.
Morris finished with 42 assists, eight digs, and three aces in one of her most complete outings. Libero GISELLE OJEDA paced the back row with 15 digs, while DELANEY GREGORY (13) and BEA ANGELES (11) also reached double figures.
The win lifts St. Edward's to 11–11 overall and eight conference victories, and sends off its seniors with a performance rooted in the past, sparked by the present, and charged with the promise of what's ahead.
