WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Midwestern State (15-8, 8-6 Lone Star) fell to Texas Woman's (16-8, 9-4 Lone Star) in a tightly contested five-set match at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, with scores of 25-22, 21-25, 28-26, 19-25, 9-15.
The match featured a defensive showcase from Midwestern State, which recorded 138 digs but suffered its first loss at home in 10 matches this season.
Midwestern State began the first set with strong defensive plays, including a block by
Alayna Guerrero that leveled the score early. The home team kept pace with Texas Woman's through effective kills from
Isabella Dickens and
Trinity Vinzant, maintaining a tight contest.
As the set progressed, Midwestern State gained momentum with a series of key plays, highlighted by kills from
Arrianna Fields and
Jaiden Wright. A decisive run featuring contributions from
Demi Stauffenberg helped extend their advantage.
The set concluded with Midwestern State securing a 25-22 victory, closing the set with a kill by Dickens, ensuring an early lead in the match.
Midwestern State started the second set with a balanced attack, quickly erasing a two-point deficit with a kill from
Alayna Guerrero and a block by
Isabella Dickens and
Trinity Vinzant.
Arrianna Fields contributed with two kills, putting Midwestern State in a brief lead at 6-5. Despite their efforts, Texas Woman's regained the lead with a series of kills, capitalizing on a few attack errors from Midwestern State.
Mid-set, Midwestern State's defense, highlighted by
Jaiden Wright's block, helped maintain a close scoreline.
Alayna Guerrero and
Trinity Vinzant added key kills that kept the team within striking distance. However, Texas Woman's went on a late run, extending their advantage to 20-15, which proved difficult for Midwestern State to overcome.
The set ended with Texas Woman's securing a 25-21 victory, despite Midwestern State's attempt to close the gap with a late kill by Vinzant and a forced attack error from Sydney Garrison.
Midwestern State began the third set with momentum, as
Arrianna Fields scored the first point with a kill assisted by
Alayna Guerrero. A brief exchange of points followed, but Midwestern State took control with a defensive block by
Isabella Dickens and
Alayna Guerrero, followed by a kill from
Demi Stauffenberg, establishing an early lead.
The Mustangs maintained their advantage through consistent offensive contributions, with
Trinity Vinzant and
Jaiden Wright capitalizing on assists from Guerrero. The team extended their lead to 13-8 with a series of opponent attack errors and a service ace by Guerrero, creating a crucial gap.
As the set progressed, Texas Woman's narrowed the scoreline, tying it at 20-20 with a series of kills. However, MSU responded with key plays from Fields and Vinzant, ultimately pushing the score to 25-25. The set concluded with a kill and a service ace from Stauffenberg, sealing a 28-26 victory for the Mustangs in the third set.
Midwestern State started the fourth set with a lineup featuring
Jenna Redding,
Demi Stauffenberg,
Alayna Guerrero,
Isabella Dickens,
Trinity Vinzant,
Sadie Christiansen, and
Giselle Cazares. The Pioneers jumped ahead with an early lead, capitalizing on a couple of attack errors from Midwestern St. However,
Jaiden Wright and
Isabella Dickens responded with key kills assisted by
Alayna Guerrero, keeping the home team within reach.
Midwestern State narrowed the gap with a service ace from
Giselle Cazares, tying the score at 16-16.
Arrianna Fields contributed crucial kills during a rally that briefly gave Maroon & Gold the lead. Despite this surge, TWU regained momentum in the latter stages, taking advantage of some attack errors from Midwestern State and ultimately closing the set with a 25-19 victory.
In the decisive fifth set, the Mustangs surged ahead early, scoring the first six points, including two kills by
Trinity Vinzant and one by
Jaiden Wright, all set up by
Alayna Guerrero. The Pioneers responded with a series of six unanswered points to tie the score at 6-6, highlighted by a service ace from Tori Woods.
Midwestern State regained a slight edge at 7-6 with another kill from Wright, but Texas Woman's quickly countered, reclaiming the lead and extending it to 12-8 through a combination of kills and blocks. Despite a late kill from Vinzant to narrow the gap to 12-9, TWU capitalized on Maroon & Gold errors, closing out the set 15-9.
Trinity Vinzant led the team defensively with 22 digs and added 16.0 points overall.
Alayna Guerrero contributed significantly in setting with 48 assists and also recorded 23 digs.
Jaiden Wright was effective at the net with six total blocks.
Arrianna Fields added to the team's offensive tally with 14 kills, contributing 15.5 points.
Looking ahead, MSU will face Angelo State on Friday, Nov. 7 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
