Match Information
Score: Lubbock Christian 3, St. Mary's 0 (25-19, 25-22, 29-27)
Records: Lubbock Christian (10-6, 1-0 Heartland), St. Mary's (6-10, 1-1 Heartland)
Location: Bill Greehey Arena – San Antonio, Texas
 
Highlights
 
Lubbock Christian University improved their win streak to six matches and claimed their first win in a Heartland Conference opener since 2015 with a 3-0 straight-set victory on the road at St. Mary's. The two teams combined for 157 digs in three sets, with LCU posting a season high 81 digs. The high dig totals led to low attack percentages, with LCU winning despite a .184 attack mark on a season high 147 attempts. Lauren Zoller and Ashley Vanfleet each co-led LCU with 14 kills. Zoller completed a double-double with 10 digs and was one of two double-doubles for LCU, as Bradi Marshall posted 41 assists and 15 digs. Bree Perry contributed a double-double for StMU with 27 assists and 12 digs.

How It Happened
  
Set One:
LCU maintained a lead early in the set until a pair of Rattlers points closed an 11-9 lead and tied the set at 11-11.  It was the first of four occurrences of a tied score in the set, but LCU never trailed. With the score tied 13-13, Morgan Schwarz regained the LCU lead with a kill. LCU called a timeout leading 20-18 and responded with a 5-1 run to claim the set 25-19. Jaiden Kennedy and Ashley Vanfleet each had a pair of kills during the final rally. Vanfleet led LCU in the set with six kills. LCU had their best attack-mark in the match, producing a .267 attack percentage in the set. Vanfleet's six kills were on eight chances.  Bradi Marshall produced 15 assists and five digs in the set for LCU.
 
Set Two:
St. Mary's tallied the first two points of the second set before LCU opened a 7-1 run for a 7-3 advantage. LCU halted a Rattlers 5-0 run, which cut LCU's lead to 13-12, with a timeout and again, it came up timely. LCU regained their lead, but the Rattlers used a kill from Monica Ramon to tie the set 18-18. The Lady Chaps held off the Rattlers with a 4-0 run and eventually won the set 25-22. Zoller and Vanfleet each had four kills to lead LCU in the set. Jaycie Pluenneke led StMU with five kills in the set. Kelsie French led LCU with nine digs in the set. StMU lost the set despite a 17-12 advantage in kills due to three ball-handling errors.       
 
Set Three:
The final set was full of action, as the teams combined for 124 kill attempts (63 by StMU) and 69 digs (38 by LCU). Zoller was the storyline in the final moments of the rollercoaster set, which included five combined set-point serves. Trailing 23-20, LCU received a pair of kills from Zoller as part of a 4-0 run to take a 24-23 to setup the first set-point serve. LCU was unable to capitalize on a pair of match-point serves, and KK Payne responded with two kills for the Rattlers to provide them their first set-point serve. It was denied by a kill by Zoller to tie the set 26-26. The Rattlers again were unable to convert on set-point, as Zoller provided another kill to tie the set 27-27. Leah Roberson and Marshall combined for a block and LCU capitalized on their third match-point serve of the set with an ace from Zoller. The two teams combined for nine blocks in the set, with 6.0 by LCU (Roberson with four blocks). Zoller had 20 kill opportunities in the set and converted for seven kills in the set. They also received five from Schwarz and four from Vanfleet. LCU produced 17 kills in the set. Monica Ramon led all players in the set with 12 assists.
 
Inside the Numbers:
.200 – The win marked LCU's second win this season when hitting below .200 percent (2-6). Thursday, they produced a .184 attack percentage, which was their lowest in a winning effort since a mark of .140 on Aug. 25 against Eastern New Mexico (Aug. 25), LCU won with a .140.
3 – LCU ended StMU's three-game win streak in the all-time series, which StMU still leads 13-9.
4-2 – LCU improved to 4-2 in Heartland Conference openers, winning their first conference opener since 2015. They went 17-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference openers prior to becoming Heartland Conference members. Head coach Jennifer Lawrence is 11-4 in conference openers.
5 – Double-doubles for Bradi Marshall (41 assists, 15 digs) and Lauren Zoller (14 kills, 10 digs) were each their team co-leading fifth of the season.
6 – The win marked LCU's sixth straight victory, which is their longest since they won six straight in November of 2016.
9.0 – The Lady Chaps 9.0 blocks was a season high for a three-set match and the most in a three-set match since Sept. 16, 2017, as they combined for 11.0 in a loss to Nebraska-Kearney.
9 – Leah Roberson has nine blocks in the prior two matches she has played inside Bill Greehey Arena.  She posted four blocks Thursday, which was one shy of her career mark completed last season at St. Mary's.
14 –Ashley Vanfleet's 14 kills matched a season high. She posted 14 on Aug. 24 vs. Emporia State.
41 – Bradi Marshall contributed 41 assists, which matched her three-set season high this season.
81 – LCU combined for 81 digs Thursday, which was their season high for a three-set match and the most in a three-set match since they combined for 85 on Nov. 19, 2016 at Arkansas – Fort Smith.
147 – The 147 attack attempts by LCU was a season high in a three-set match and the most in a three-set match since their season opener in 2017, in which they had 147 against Westminster College (Sept. 1, 2017).
 
Up Next:
LCU continues their opening week of conference action Saturday facing Texas A&M International at noon in Laredo, Texas. If LCU can extend their win streak to seven matches, it would be their longest win streak since moving into NCAA Division II and their longest win streak since winning 11 straight matches in September of 2011.