ODESSA, Texas — St. Edward's delivered one of the most efficient attacking performances in program history, committing only eight errors and hitting .461 in a 25-19, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of UT Dallas on Friday at the Lone Star Conference Challenge.
The Hilltoppers' .461 hitting percentage was their highest since setting the program's single-match record at .481 in 2013.
KARA WYNN led the historic performance with 14 kills on 18 swings and only two errors, hitting .667. Her percentage is tied for the 14th-highest in NCAA Division II this season among players with 15-19 attempts and ranks among the five most efficient performances in program history. It was the highest by a Hilltopper since Elissa Stanton set the school record by hitting .765 with 13 kills on 17 errorless swings in 2014.
KELLI FORDING added 10 kills at a .300 clip, while KAYLEN LEMBCKE and GRACE MCDONALD combined for 15 kills and only two errors.
Reigning Lone Star Conference Setter of the Week ALTHEA MORRIS orchestrated the balanced attack with 34 assists, helping four Hilltoppers finish with at least seven kills. St. Edward's produced 43 kills on only 76 attempts and sided out at a 73 percent rate.
The Hilltoppers set the tone immediately, hitting .560 with 16 kills and only two errors in the opening set. St. Edward's never trailed, building an early 10-6 advantage before Wynn and Lembcke helped keep UT Dallas at a distance. Wynn closed the 25-19 win with her fourth kill of the set on her fourth attempt.
St. Edward's was even sharper in the second, hitting .520 and converting 82 percent of its sideout opportunities. A kill from Wynn sparked a 6-1 run that stretched a 9-8 advantage to 16-9. The Hilltoppers continued to pull away behind an attack that produced 15 kills against only two errors, with Lembcke's ace completing the 25-16 victory.
UT Dallas briefly took its first lead of the match to open the third set, but St. Edward's quickly reclaimed control. DELANEY GREGORY served the Hilltoppers through a 5-0 run that turned an 8-7 edge into a 13-7 advantage, receiving kills from Lembcke and Wynn before delivering an ace.
The Comets pulled within 20-19 late, but Wynn stopped their momentum with a kill. CARRINGTON JAIMES took over from the service line and closed the match with three aces during a five-point run, including for match point.
Jaimes led the Hilltoppers with three of their eight aces, and GISELLE OJEDA anchored the defense with a match-high 14 digs as St. Edward's limited UT Dallas to a .153 hitting percentage, including .074 in each of the final two sets.
The victory improved St. Edward's to 5-4 this season. St. Edward's will conclude non-conference play on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. against host Texas Permian Basin.
