HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Houston Christian opened day two of the Sam Houston Tournament on Friday afternoon, falling 3-1 (25-17, 15-25, 18-25, 22-25) to Louisiana-Monroe inside Johnson Coliseum.
The Huskies (5-7) came out strong in the first set, hitting .355 as a team behind balanced scoring to take the opener 25-17. HCU controlled the frame with 13 kills against just two errors, led by early strikes from
Taylor Bonner-Williams and
Allana Archie.
Momentum shifted in the second set as the Warhawks (9-4) limited HCU to a .043 hitting percentage while capitalizing on a 14-kill effort to even the match, 25-15. ULM maintained its edge in the third, hitting a match-best .421 with 19 kills to push ahead 2-1 in the contest.
The fourth set featured the tightest battle of the afternoon. HCU stayed within reach, pulling within a point late at 22-23, but ULM held on to close the frame 25-22 and secure the win.
Bonner-Williams paced the Huskies with 10 kills, while Archie followed with nine kills and two blocks.
Cassidy Drapela added six kills and three blocks. Setter
Peyton Fadal dished out 30 assists with five kills of her own on .500 hitting. Defensively,
Bianca Byerly anchored the back row with 19 digs, joined by double-digit efforts from
Savanna Stevens (12) and Drapela (11).
Overall, HCU finished with 46 kills, 44 assists, and 68 digs while limiting errors in stretches to stay competitive. ULM was led by Aniya Hall's 19 kills and hit .238 as a team for the match.
The Huskies continue tournament play on Saturday against Georgia State, with first serve set for noon.
