Box Score
HOUSTON – HBU overcame a sluggish offensive performance to hold off Incarnate Word, 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-21, 18-25, 15-13), in Southland Conference volleyball Thursday night at Sharp Gym.
"We got off to a slow start and showed some rust after having a week off," HBU head coach
Trent Herman said. "Incarnate Word played very good defense as we struggled to find any rhythm offensively. I'm proud of the way we kept fighting and were able to find a way to win when we weren't playing our best."
Senior outside hitter
Melissa Fuchs and
Bailey Banks each recorded double-doubles, with Fuchs leading the way for the Huskies (18-13, 9-6 SLC) with 14 kills and 11 digs and Banks adding 10 kills and 14 digs. Junior middle blocker
Blair Gillard posted 13 blocks, setting the school record for blocks in a five-set match during the 25-point rally scoring era, and also had six kills and five digs. Senior setter
Kayla Armer dished out 35 assists, led HBU with 18 digs and had seven kills. Senior right side
Ashlee Vann pitched in with nine kills and sophomore defensive specialist
Rachel Angeles came up with 11 digs.
UIW (11-17, 7-8) was led by Autumn Lockley with 17 kills, 13 digs and five blocks, while Shaina Garza had 11 kills and 10 digs. Bryauna Hall added seven kills and seven blocks, while Sarea Alexander had seven kills and five blocks. Madison Williams led the Cardinals with 33 assists and Claudia Hernandez recorded a match-high 23 digs.
The Cardinals outhit the Huskies, .130-.070, for the match. The blocks were even at 16 apiece, but HBU outdug UIW, 72-61.
HBU led at the changeover in the fifth set, 8-7, then came out of it with kills by Banks and Armer and an attack error by UIW to lead by four. Back-to-back kills by Hall and an ace by Garza got the Cardinals within one, but Banks came through with a clutch kill. Lockley had kills to keep UIW within one, but Vann put away the match with a kill to pull out the decisive set, 15-13.
The Huskies host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the regular-season finale on Senior Day Saturday at 11 a.m. at Sharp Gym. The Islanders have already clinched the regular-season Southland title with an undefeated conference mark, while the Huskies are battling for the three seed at next week's conference tournament.
