STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Volleyball sent off its seniors with a regular season finale victory, with the Texans defeating Austin Peay 3-1 (25-22. 25-22, 20-25, 25-23) on Saturday at Wisdom Gym.
After Tarleton State took the first two sets, Austin Peay responded with a victory in the third set and was two points away from forcing a fifth frame. Tarleton State, however, ended the match on a 7-0 scoring run to take the fourth set and clinch the victory.
Fifth year outside hitter
LaNeah Lara led the Texans with 14 kills on her Senior Day while senior opposite
Breannah Peterson had 11 kills. Freshman outside hitter
Jacqui McClain posted her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 14 digs. Senior setter
Alexis Massey also shined on Senior Day, having her seventh double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs. Libero
Leddy Rae Guinn posted a team-high defensively with 18 digs.
Austin Peay took control early in the opening frame, taking an 8-5 lead. Tarleton State, however, was not about to let the Governors spoil the first set. Back-to-back kills from Peterson allowed the Texans to take a one-point lead, with a kill from freshman middle blocker Onita Davis pushing Tarleton State in front 20-17. The Governors eventually used four straight points to take a one-point lead.
While Austin Peay tied it again after the Texans scored, it was Tarleton State that came out on top. The Texans ended the first set with three straight points and hit .302 to take the frame 25-22.
After Austin Peay went up 9-7 early in the second set, the Texans scored four straight points to take the lead and force the Governors to call a timeout. Lara came up with another kill to make it a 5-0 scoring run immediately after the timeout and make it a three-point lead for the Texans. A kill from setter Peyton Fadal later in the set allowed Tarleton State to go up 19-14.
A 3-0 scoring run by Austin Peay made it a one-point set, but the Texans were unfazed by the Governors' scoring spree. The Texans got three of the next four kills, hitting .341 in the second frame to win 25-22 and take a 2-0 lead going into the break.
Tarleton State went out in front early in the third set thanks to a 4-0 scoring run, but Austin Peay quickly countered. After making it a one-point set, Austin Peay used five straight points to swing the advantage. The Governors went ahead by as many as six and eventually won the set 25-20 to keep the match alive.
A kill from Lara allowed the Texans to go up 7-4 to start the fourth set before Austin Peay answered with a 4-0 scoring run to take a one-point lead. Austin Peay answered Tarleton State's back-to-back points with a 5-0 scoring run and eventually going up 23-18 later in the set.
The Texans refused to let the match go to five sets, with Davis and McClain starting a scoring spree. A kill from Peterson and an Austin Peay attack error tied the match at 23 before another kill from McClain and a service ace from Massey capped off a 7-0 scoring run to end the match for the Texans.
Tarleton State will be the No. 5 seed in the United Athletic Conference Tournament next week, facing No. 4 seed Central Arkansas on Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
