LAREDO, Texas — Tex. A&M Int'l (4-16, 2-9 Lone Star) edged out Midwestern St. (13-7, 6-5 Lone Star) in a tightly contested five-set match at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building, winning 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 15-9.
The match opened with a closely contested start as Midwestern St. and Tex. A&M Int'l traded points. After an initial back-and-forth, Midwestern St. found momentum with a series of successful plays.
Trinity Vinzant's performance was pivotal, contributing multiple kills and leading a run that tied the score at 12-12. However, Tex. A&M Int'l responded and regained the lead, pushing Midwestern St. to a back-and-forth struggle to maintain pace. Midwestern St. managed to tie the score at 23-23 through
Isabella Dickens' decisive kill. Despite strong efforts from Midwestern St., including contributions from
Arrianna Fields and
Demi Stauffenberg, Tex. A&M Int'l closed the period with a service ace, securing the set 25-23.
Midwestern St. faced a challenging second period against Tex. A&M Int'l, who established an early lead with a series of kills, spearheaded by Mia Molina and Caitlyn Cornell, pushing the home team to a 9-1 advantage. However, Midwestern St. responded with a surge, highlighted by
Isabella Dickens and
Trinity Vinzant, who each contributed crucial kills, narrowing the gap to 10-5. Despite a late rally that included kills from Vinzant and
Jaiden Wright, Midwestern St. couldn't overcome the deficit. Tex. A&M Int'l secured the period with a decisive 25-18 score, extending their overall lead in the match.
Midwestern St. capitalized on early errors by Tex. A&M Int'l to establish a lead, with
Trinity Vinzant contributing a service ace to make it 14-10. The Mustangs then extended their advantage with key kills from Vinzant and
Isabella Dickens, pushing the score to 20-16. Tex. A&M Int'l attempted a comeback, bringing the score to 20-19, but Midwestern St. maintained their composure.
Arrianna Fields sealed the period with a decisive kill, ending the match with a 25-21 victory for Midwestern St.
Midwestern St. gained momentum in the fourth period with a series of impactful plays, highlighted by
Demi Stauffenberg's three kills, two of which were assisted by
Alayna Guerrero.
Trinity Vinzant also contributed significantly to the score with two kills, keeping Midwestern St. ahead. Despite a brief rally by Tex. A&M Int'l, Midwestern St. maintained their lead, propelled by
Isabella Dickens who clinched the final point with a kill, also assisted by Guerrero. The period ended with Midwestern St. securing a 25-18 victory, concluding the match.
Midwestern St. started the fifth period with a rough patch, conceding an early lead to Tex. A&M Int'l due to a bad set and a service ace. Despite the setbacks, Midwestern St. responded with a kill from
Demi Stauffenberg assisted by
Alayna Guerrero, narrowing the deficit to 5-2.
Trinity Vinzant and
Arrianna Fields each contributed crucial kills, but the Dustdevils maintained their momentum with effective kills from multiple players. The Mustangs continued to battle, with Stauffenberg adding another kill, but attack errors limited their comeback potential. As the period progressed, Midwestern St. managed to stay in contention, closing gaps periodically. However, Tex. A&M Int'l held firm, eventually clinching the set 15-9. The game concluded with this decisive final set, resulting in a win for Tex. A&M Int'l.
Trinity Vinzant recorded 18 kills and added 15 digs, contributing significantly to her team's performance.
Alayna Guerrero facilitated the offense with 40 assists while also collecting 14 digs.
Isabella Dickens finished with 14 kills on a .378 hitting percentage, supporting her team with crucial points. Additionally,
Demi Stauffenberg tallied 14 kills and 13 digs, rounding out the top performers for Midwestern St.
The next challenge for the Maroon & Gold will take them on the road to face Eastern New Mexico at Greyhound Arena. The match is set for October 28, with first serve at 7 p.m.
