DALLAS – ADDY BADLEY celebrated her birthday with 18 punctuating kills, LANDRY BAUGHMAN stepped up to give St. Edward's volleyball a potent one-two punch, and the Hilltoppers defeated East Central University in four sets for their first win of the season – and the first of head coach Jeremy Garcia's career. 
 
"This group learned how to respond over the weekend, getting better and better with each match they played," Garcia says. "We've thrown a lot of new things at them over the last few weeks, and their intent to apply so much, so early is evident through their progression of play."
 
Badley continued her momentum from Friday, and setter ALTHEA MORRIS went to her senior middle blocker early and often, setting the tone with seven kills on 10 attacks and only one error in the first set.
 
Morris and fellow setter JAIDEN LAVANWAY balanced the Hilltopper attack by mixing in opportunities for KAT NEILLE and DELANEY GREGORY at opportune times, getting a combined six kills on nine attacks with no errors to earn St. Edward's a 25-19 first set, ending on back-to-back kills from Badley – one booming, and the other perfectly placed. 
 
East Central controlled the nets with four blocks and 13 kills in the second set, led by Jayla Buford's five kills, two solo blocks, and a block assist. The Tigers jumped out to a 23-15 lead, but Baughman sparked St. Edward's with three late kills off the bench, Badley continued her pace with six kills and no errors in the set, and LaVanway recorded back-to-back aces late to help St. Edward's force extra points in the 26-24 loss to even the match.
 
BEA ANGELES and Baughman put St. Edward's in opportune positions in the third set by elevating the Hilltoppers' first touch, combining for seven digs and 11 receptions with no errors. Morris turned those into a balanced attack, finding Baughman for five kills, and KELLI FORDING and Badley for four each in a 25-18 win. 
 
Badley struggled with efficiency in the fourth set. Still, her gravity created opportunities for Baughman (four kills on five attacks, no errors), Neille, Fording, and freshman GRACE MCDONALD to step up with two kills each on a combined nine attacks with only two errors to close the match. 
 
St. Edward's switched between Morris (six assists) and LaVanway (four) in the set. GISELLE OJEDA recorded six digs, and Baughman closed the match with one of five Hilltopper aces in the set. 
 
Badley ended the match with a .316 hitting percentage for her 18 kills, closing the opening weekend with a team-high 45 kills on .327 hitting, averaging 3.75 per set. 
 
Baughman recorded 12 kills on a .550 clip with two aces in three sets played, Morris recorded 25 assists, and LaVanway added 12 with three service aces. Ojeda recorded a team-high 18 digs, and Neille and Fording combined for 17 kills. 
 
"We're back in the gym on Monday to prepare for another long weekend on the road," Garcia says. "There's a lot of excitement and positivity about what another weekend together could look like."
 
St. Edward's will return to the road next weekend to play in the Reddie-Tiger Invitational hosted by Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.