DENTON, Texas -- Riley Rabedeaux led Midwestern State with 11 kills, while
Isabella Dickens and
Lauryn Bourne each had eight kills for the Mustangs, who pushed Texas Woman's to four sets but fell 16-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-25 at Kitty Magee Arena on Wednesday night.
TWU had four players finish with double-digit kills and hit better than .400 for the match. Kaia Saylor put down 18 kills on 31 swings without an error and hit .581. Kady Hansen and Malia Viernes each had 13 kills for the Pioneers. Viernes hit .409 and Hansen hit .400. Cara Pool boasted a .476 attack percentage and finished with 12 kills.
Saylor set the tone in the first set with five kills as the Pioneers took an early 8-3 lead. Kay Hansen had two kills in a four-point run and TWU led, 12-5. The Pioneers had 21 kills in the opening frame en route to a nine-point win.
The Mustangs got off to a better start in the second set and took a 9-7 lead with
Jaiden Wright getting two kills. Rabedeaux,
Elise Smith and Arianna Fields also had kills early in the second set, which 15 ties and four lead changes. The Mustangs stayed within two points of the Pioneers until Hansen's kill gave TWU a 23-20 lead. Viernes secured a four-point win with a kill to end the set.
Dickens, Wright and Rabedeaux spearheaded a 5-1 lead in the third set for MSU.
Taygon Jones delivered a service ace and a kill as the Mustangs won five of six points to take an 11-5 lead in the third set. Following a four-point run from TWU that tied the third set, 19-19, Smith and Dickens had kills in a three-point run for the Mustangs, who won six of the final eight points to claim the set, 25-21.
Pool, Tori Woods and Saylor opened the fourth set with consecutive kills, and the Pioneers led wire-to-wire. Lizzy Reed served an ace to put the Pioneers up 13-5. An ace from Marina Obradovic closed out a three-point run that gave TWU a commanding 22-12 lead. Viernes ended the set after 40 points with her 13th kill, and Kiana Reed earned her 28th assist for TWU.
Grace Reynolds, who had four service errors, finished the night with 25 assists for the Pioneers.
Bourne hit .222 for MSU and led the team with 16 digs. Dickens hit .333 for the Mustangs, who hit .188 as a team, but TWU finished with an attack percentage of .299.
Alayna Guerrero finished with 20 assists, and
Brooke Parker had 14 in the loss. Parker also had two aces for the Mustangs.
Midwestern State travels to Silver City, New Mexico, for a 6 p.m. showdown with Western New Mexico at Drag's Court on Saturday.
--MSUMustangs.com--
