Match Information
Score: Lubbock Christian 3, Texas A&M-Commerce 2 (26-24, 21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-4)
Records: Lubbock Christian (13-6, 9-2), TAMUC (9-8, 8-4)
Location: Rip Griffin Center – Lubbock, Texas

Highlights
Lubbock Christian University received 15 kills each from Jenna Lyons and Hannah Froeschl, and Sage Chain supplied 13 kills and a career-high nine blocks (tied for the most in a five-set match since 2008), as their performances were joined by career-high performances from Jalee Sims and Kendall Mahaney and added to the Lady Chaps balance needed to win the final two sets and claim a 3-2 win over Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday at Rip Griffin Center in Lone Star Conference play. LCU ended TAMUC's eight-game conference win streak behind a key rally in the third set, which fueled a momentum-led decisive fifth set. Sims captured another double-double for LCU, but this time included a career-high 54 assists along with 22 digs. Kendall Mahaney contributed a career-high 26 digs for LCU, who posted a season-high 95 digs. The Lions had four players with at least 10 kills in the match. Maddy Rasahford (19), Maiya Dickie (16), Taryn Cast (13) and Essence Allen (15) helped TAMUC have a 72-63 advantage over LCU in kills. Allen added 20 digs to complete the double-double. Celeste Vela also had a double-double for TAMUC, providing a career-high 63 assists and 11 digs.           
           
How It Happened

Set One:
An early 7-2 run by TAMUC provided the Lions an 8-5 lead and it would out to be the largest lead of the set. The score was tied on 14 occasions, with six lead changes in the set. LCU had a 24-22 lead, but TAMUC kills by Maiya Dickie and Maddy Rashfod tied the contest at 24-24. LCU answered off a pair of TAMUC mistakes and LCU claimed the set 26-24. LCU won the set despite TAMUC having a 19-16 advantage in kills (Dickie had eight for TAMUC). The Lady Chaps hit .310 in the frame, with Hannah Froeschl supplying six kills for LCU.     

Set Two:
The Lions had another early run to open the second set, as they scored the first five points of the match and quickly built a 9-3 lead. They led as much as 14-5 before LCU answered with a 7-2 and 6-2 run to cut their deficit to 20-18. TAMUC closed the set on a 4-2 scoring advantage to take the set 25-21. Rashford and Sydney Anderson each had four kills to lead the Lions in the set. Lyons led LCU with four kills.          

Set Three:
LCU played from behind in the third set, tying the score five times, but they were unable to ever take the lead. Neither team had more than a 2-0 run in the set until TAMUC broke from a 20-18 lead with a 3-0 run, eventually leading to a 25-20 set win. Allen and Rashford each had seven kills in the set, as they had a 20-13 advantage over LCU in kills.       
 
Set Four:
TAMUC jumped out to a 5-1 run in the fourth set. Like the prior sets, LCU kept climbing back, but was unable to take a lead. After crawling back to cut the deficit to 6-5, 7-6 and 9-8 in the set, they finally found a rally they needed. Trailing 14-9, LCU's Lyons produced a kill to start an 11-3 run for a 20-16 lead. They closed the set on a 5-1 run to claim the set 25-19 and force a decisive fifth set. Lyons and Sage Post each had five kills to lead LCU in the set. Sims had 11 assists and nine digs.
 
Set Five:
LCU had momentum heading into the final set and they took advantage of it. They surrendered the opening point and then went on a 4-1 run to take a 4-2 lead. Dickie produced a kill for the Lions to cut LCU's lead to 4-3, but the Lady Chaps responded with a 10-0 run and closed the set on an 11-1 run to win the set 15-4. Chain and Post each had three kills and Froeschl had the other two kills produced by LCU in the clinching set. LCU hit .538 in the set and held TAMUC to a -.105 mark at the net.
 
Inside the Numbers:

12-2	LCU's win moved them to 13-6 on the season and 9-2 in conference play. The win improved LCU to 5-1 at home this season. With LCU 7-1 on the road and 5-1 at home, LCU improves to 12-2 in non-neutral site matches.
2-1	The Lady Chaps improved to 2-1 this season in five-set matches. It was their first five-set win at home this season and their first five-set match since a 3-2 win at Colo. Colorado Springs on Sept. 11.
72-63	LCU won despite TAMUC having a 72-63 advantage in kills, which marks the 11th time this season an LCU opponent has had the upper hand in kills. That said, LCU is 6-5 this season when opponents have more kills. They improved to 12-0 when leading in hitting percentage, as LCU had a .234 to .171 advantage.
3-6	Four a fifth consecutive match, LCU dropped the third set of a match. They have won three of the last four occurrences and are now 3-6 when falling in the third set.
9	Sage Post had a career-high mark of nine blocks (9.0), which is the most by a Lady Chaps member since Hannah Thomas had nine on Sept. 16, 2017 (vs. Nebraska-Kearney). The total ties for the third most since 2008 and ties for the most in a five-set match since 2008, as Samantha Mathews had 9.0 in a five-set match on Sept. 27, 2014 (vs. Texas Permian Basin).
10	Mady McCully had 10 consecutive serves during LCU's 10-0 run in the fifth set and served 25 times in the match without an error.
11	Breaking down sets, LCU improved to 11-0 this season when they win the first set. The second set, LCU dropped the set for only the fourth time this season. They are 2-2 this season when losing the second set.
13	LCU's Jalee Sims, with now 12 double-doubles over her past 15 matches, notched her 13th double-double of the season (fourth straight match with one) and it was her 23rd of her LCU career.
26	LCU produced a season-high 95 digs. Kendall Mahaney had a team-leading 26 digs for a new career high, and it marked her seventh career match to reach at least 20 digs.
15	Jenna Lyons matched a season-high with 15 kills (she had 15 on Friday as well). Hannah Froeschl also co-led LCU in the match with 15 kills. Each had solid percentages, as Froeschl had a .433 attack percentage and Lyons hit .289.
11.0	LCU had at least 10 blocks for a third consecutive match and their 11.0 blocks Saturday has them with 36 over the span. The feat marks the first time LCU has had at least 10 blocks in three consecutive matches since joining NCAA Division II (2015).
9-2	LCU had a 9-2 advantage in points off serves. LCU had three aces and TAMUC served six errors. The Lions did not have an ace, marking the second time this season in which an LCU opponent did not register an ace. Prior to this season, the last opponent to not record an ace against LCU was Newman on Nov. 3, 2018.
54	Jalee Sims' 54 assists was a career-high mark. It is the highest assist total by a Lady Chaps member since Bradi Marshall had 55 against Texas Woman's on Oct. 1, 2019.
1-4	LCU and TAMUC were meeting in Lubbock for the first time since Sept. 13, 2013, and LCU's win was their first-ever win over the Lions in program history (fifth all-time meeting and second-ever meeting in Lubbock).

 
Next Up:
LCU completes their three-match homestand Monday at 7 p.m. hosting Wayland Baptist for a non-conference contest. The game will be Faculty Appreciation Night inside Rip Griffin Center, as Lady Chap members will recognize influential faculty members.