AUSTIN, Texas — Saturday's Senior Day ceremony ended with volleyball's senior sign-off video, a reel of the Hilltoppers' five seniors signing the camera before waving goodbye to the Recreation and Athletics Center.
They had already left their signatures all over the match.
St. Edward's defeated Eastern New Mexico 19-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-18 for its sixth consecutive victory, celebrating Senior Day with a career milestone, contributions from all five honorees, and a spot in the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
Two minutes after being the last starter announced in the pregame lineups as St. Edward's second libero, senior BRENNA HEFFRON opened the match with an ace on its first serve. Eastern New Mexico answered with four consecutive points, leaving the Hilltoppers chasing throughout an opening set in which the Greyhounds hit .281 and recorded four blocks.
St. Edward's responded with its most efficient sideout performance of the match, winning points on 14 of Eastern New Mexico's 15 second-set serves to quickly reestablish control.
Senior outside hitter KELLI FORDING broke a 5-5 tie with a kill, sending ALTHEA MORRIS to the service line for six more consecutive points. Senior KAYLEN LEMBCKE and CARRINGTON JAIMES combined for a block, and Lembcke hammered another kill as the Hilltoppers' pressure drew a series of Eastern New Mexico mistakes.
Fording finished the set with five kills and no attack errors, and MIA CLAY supplied six kills, powering a .389 team hitting percentage.
Briceno helped turn another early deficit into a Hilltopper advantage in the third. Trailing 3-1, St. Edward's scored five consecutive points behind a Briceno ace and kills from Lembcke and Clay.
The lead grew to 10-5 before Eastern New Mexico trimmed the margin to two. Fording answered with a milestone swing, putting away a set from MACY PHILLIPS for a 12-9 lead and the 1,000th kill of her career.
Senior DELANEY GREGORY added her moment later in the set, recording a kill before being embraced by teammates. Senior outside hitter LANDRY BAUGHMAN helped finish the set with an assist, setting up Jaimes for the kill that secured the 25-18 win.
Clay supplied six kills on .455 hitting in the third, helping St. Edward's hit .412. Across the second and third sets, the Hilltoppers combined for 33 kills with only five attack errors, hitting .400 to take control.
St. Edward's erased a 6-4 deficit in the fourth behind a Fording kill and a Clay ace, then pulled ahead with another Fording kill, a block from Fording and Jaimes, and an Eastern New Mexico attack error.
Baughman continued to make the most of her opportunities, delivering two kills and some of the afternoon's most animated celebrations. Her first pushed the Hilltoppers ahead 17-12, and her second provided a 22-17 cushion down the stretch.
Jaimes followed Baughman's final kill with one of her own. Two points later, Briceno punctuated Senior Day with her second ace to close the match. She also contributed seven digs.
Fording and Clay shared the match lead with 17 kills each. Jaimes added seven kills without an attack error, hitting .636 with three block assists and two aces. Lembcke contributed eight kills on .389 hitting with three block assists, and GRACE MCDONALD finished with five kills and a team-high four block assists.
Morris directed the offense with 43 assists, moving past 900 for the season with 911. GISELLE OJEDA led the defense with 17 digs, surpassing 400 for the season and 900 for her career. IVY WACLAWCZYK and Morris added eight digs each.
St. Edward's finished with a 59-34 kill advantage and held Eastern New Mexico to .108 hitting, including a mark below .070 in each of the final three sets.
By the time their signatures appeared on the screen, the Hilltoppers' seniors had already given the afternoon its lasting images: Heffron's opening ace, Fording's milestone swing, Gregory's teammates gathering around her, Lembcke's force at the net, and Baughman's celebrations. And together, a return to the postseason.
