HOUSTON – HCU volleyball fell to visiting Howard, 3-1 (17-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21), inside Sharp Gym on the opening day of the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament on Thursday evening.
The Huskies (1-3) took an early 3-1 lead in the opening set before Howard (3-1) scored five-straight points thanks, in large part, to four HCU errors. Trailing 6-3, a Howard service error started a nine-point HCU run that included a pair of
Cassidy Drapela kills and put the Huskies ahead, 12-6. The Bison fought back, however, and pulled back within one, 17-16, before HCU stepped on the gas and closed out the set by scoring eight of the final nine points for the 25-17 win.
HCU couldn't get any momentum going early in the second set, putting together consecutive points just twice throughout. Back-to-back points pulled the Huskies within five, 13-8, before a five-point burst that included three Drapela kills cut the deficit to just two, 15-13. The Huskies managed just three points the rest of the set as they committed eight attack errors to Howard's two.
The third set was close early with Howard going up 3-0 before the Huskies went ahead 10-7 a bit later. A 9-2 Bison run turned the tables, however, and left the Huskies trailing 16-12. HCU responded with the next three points but was unable to close the gap any further as Howard pulled away to win it, 25-20.
Set four saw 10 ties within the first 22 points scored with a Cimone Woodard kill evening the score at 11-11. That kill started an 8-1 run by the Bison to make it an 18-12 game. HCU didn't go away, though, as three-straight kills by
Katy Barger cut the Howard lead back down to just two, 18-16. The two teams then traded points until the score fell to 20-18 before the Bison scored the next two and maintained at least a three-point lead until the end of the set and match, 25-21.
The Huskies finished the match hitting .146 as a team while the Bison attack checked in at .200. The Bison also had nine team blocks to the Huskies' six.
Drapela finished the match with 14 kills to just three errors for an attack percentage of .306 and added 11 digs. Pearce ended the night with 11 kills and five block assists,
Tatiana Evans led the Huskies with 18 digs and
Grace McLaughlin had 39 assists paired with 10 digs. Barger, meanwhile, racked up seven kills while playing in just one set.
HCU returns to action on Friday, Sept. 6, evening in Sharp Gym at 6:00 p.m. against the Kansas City Roos.
