WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Angelo State (18-7, 12-2) defeated Midwestern State (15-9, 8-7) in straight sets, with scores of 25-22, 25-21, 25-20, on Friday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Angelo State recorded 54 kills, overcoming the Mustangs' 40 kills in the Lone Star Conference matchup.
Midwestern State began the first set with strong offensive play, as
Trinity Vinzant secured an early lead with back-to-back kills assisted by
Alayna Guerrero. A service ace by
Aissa Villarreal extended the lead to 3-0. However, the Rambelles quickly responded, leveling the score at 3-3 through a service ace and a block.
As the set progressed, MSU regained momentum, with Guerrero's consistent setting facilitating kills from
Arrianna Fields and
Isabella Dickens. This contributed to a back-and-forth contest, keeping the score tight. Despite several successful blocks and kills by Maroon & Gold, the Rambelles managed to pull ahead.
In the closing moments, the Mustangs remained competitive, with Dickens adding crucial points. However, Angelo State's offense proved decisive as Cate Boldrick and Demi Carter secured the final points. The first set concluded with MSU trailing 25-22.
In the second set, Midwestern State faced a challenging start as the Rambelles capitalized on early opportunities to build a lead. Despite a kill by Dickens and contributions from Fields, Angelo State maintained momentum with effective plays, including a service ace by Ireland Ferguson.
The Mustangs rallied with a sequence of strategic points, reducing the gap through a service ace by
Giselle Cazares and strong kills from Fields and
Jaiden Wright. The team drew closer, tying the score at 19-19 after a block by Dickens and a service ace from
Jenna Redding. However, Angelo responded with a decisive run, securing the set 25-21 with a kill by Boldrick and a service ace from Madi Parrish.
The third set opened with MSU battling to overcome a swift start by Angelo State. Despite an early attack error from Angelo State, the Mustangs quickly found themselves down 3-1 after a series of kills from their opponents. Dickens responded with a kill to close the gap to 3-2, but Angelo State extended their lead to 7-2.
Midwestern showed resilience as Villarreal delivered a service ace, reducing the deficit to 7-5. Vinzant and
Demi Stauffenberg contributed with key kills, yet the Rambelles maintained their momentum, widening the margin to 15-8.
In the closing stages, Fields sparked a late comeback effort with two kills and a crucial block alongside Wright, narrowing Angelo State's lead to 22-19. However, despite Wright's late kill, Angelo State secured the set with a 25-20 finish.
Dickens led MSU with 13 kills and two solo blocks, accumulating 15.5 points in the match. Fields contributed nine kills and three block assists, adding 10.5 points to the team's effort. Guerrero set up the offense with 34 assists while also collecting eight digs. Vinzant was active defensively, recording 15 digs to support the back line.
Guerrero is 21 assists shy of 1,000 for the season with two matches remaining.
The Mustangs host UT Permian Basin on Saturday, Nov. 8, at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The match is set for 5:30 p.m. CT.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
