Match Information
Score: Lubbock Christian 3, St. Edward's 2 (25-22, 25-12, 19-25, 21-25, 25-6)
Records: Lubbock Christian (7-10, 3-3), SEU (5-11, 2-3)
Location: Rip Griffin Center - Lubbock, Texas
Highlights
St. Edward's posted 18 blocks, with 15 blocks from Ajani Hodges (13 block assists), but it was not enough to steal a victory away from Lubbock Christian, who jumped out to a 2-0 match lead and claimed the match 3-2 Friday night in Lone Star Conference match play inside Rip Griffin Center. The Hilltoppers also were unable to win despite 22 kills from Maya Smalls, as LCU had four players in double figures in kills.
Aaliyah Gray and
Kiana Fallaha led the way for LCU with 15 kills each.
Sage Chain (13) and
Lily Bickley (11) also finished in double figures in kills.
Kayton Genenbacher registered a double-double for LCU, as she posted 56 assists and 19 digs. SEU had three double-double performances, as Esther Grussing (48 assists, 10 digs), Lourdes Gomez (10 kills, 17 assists) and Smalls (22 kills, 10 digs) completed the task.
How It Happened
Set One:
With LCU trailing 13-7 in the opening set, LCU head coach
Keith Giboney called a vital timeout, as the Lady Chaps responded with a 7-2 run to cut their deficit to 15-14. Following a serving error to put the deficit at 16-14, LCU went on a 3-0 run highlighted by consecutive serving aces from
Mady McCully. The score was tied on seven occasions in the set, including 19-19 before a 4-0 LCU run put them up 22-19. Kills by
Lily Bickley and
Kalli Dalland clinched the set at 25-22 for the Lady Chaps, who had a 13-10 advantage in kills in the frame.
Aaliyah Gray joined Bickley and Fallaha to co-lead the Lady Chaps with three kills each. Lourdes Gomez led SEU with four kills.
Set Two:
A trio of kills by Gray filled a 9-3 LCU run to open the second set and the Lady Chaps never looked back. They hit .394 in the set and held SEU to a .026 attack percentage in the set. The Lady Chaps closed the set on a 7-2 run, scoring the final five points of the set for a 25-12 set win. Fallaha and Gray each had four kills for LCU, as they received 13 kill distributions from Genenbacher.
Set Three:
Gray had another hot start to a set in the third set, as she had consecutive kills to put LCU up 7-4 before the Hilltoppers responded with a 3-0 run to tie the set 7-7. Trailing 10-8, SEU went on an 8-2 run filled with a pair of kills from Maya Smalls and Halle Sanders for a 16-12 SEU lead. Twice, LCU cut the deficit to two, but SEU closed the set on a 6-2 run. Smalls fueled SEU with six kills in the set. LCU received four kills from Gray.
Set Four:
The Hilltoppers got up early, using a pair of 3-1 runs to lead 8-5. Trailing 11-8, LCU used a pair of kills from Bickley to go on a 4-1 run to tie the set 12-12. LCU trailed 14-13 and went on a 5-2 run to take an 18-16 lead, but it was short-lived. SEU went on a 5-1 scoring surge with two blocks and two kills from Halle Sanders to take a 21-19 advantage. The 'toppers claimed the set with a 25-21 set win. Each team was led in kills by the same individuals that led their squad in the third set, as Smalls posted eight kills and Gray had four. Hodges posted six blocks for SEU in the set.
Set Five:
SEU notched the opening two points of the decisive fifth set, but a kill by
Sage Chain was followed by a pair of aces from Kendal Mahaney and it ignited a 6-0 LCU run for a 6-2 lead. The teams switched sides with LCU leading 8-4 after a spirited kill from
Kalli Dalland. LCU closed the match on a 7-1 run, scoring the final four points for a 15-6 set win to claim the match. Chain had a trio of kills and a block to lead LCU with 3.5 points in the final set.
Inside the Numbers:
| 6-2 |
LCU improved to 6-2 at home on the season. The Lady Chaps have claimed three straight wins at home. |
| 2-1 |
The win placed LCU with a 2-1 record in games decided in five sets this season. LCU went 4-1 last season in five-set matches and are 6-2 under head coach Keith Giboney in five-set results. All three of their five-set matches this season have been on their home floor. |
| 1-10 |
The match marked the 11th time this season LCU has dropped the third set, but the first time they have won a match when losing the third set. They are 1-10 now when losing the third set. |
| 18 |
The last time an LCU opponent had at least 18 blocks was in Kingsville, Texas on Oct. 1, 2019, as Texas A&M-Kingsville posted 18. Ajani Hodges led SEU with 15 blocks, which is the most by a player in the Lone Star Conference this season. |
| 15 |
Aaliyah Gray and Kiana Fallaha each had 15 kills to co-lead LCU. The total was a season-high for Gray and it was Fallaha's highest total since producing 18 on Sept. 3, 2022.. |
| 19 |
Kayton Genenbacher posted a career-high 19 digs to complete her team-leading fourth double-double of the season and the fifth of her career. |
| 92 |
LCU totaled a season-high 92 digs, with Kendall Mahaney leading LCU with 22 digs for her seventh game of the season with at least 20 digs. |
| 16-10 |
The Lady Chaps improved to 16-10 all-time against St. Edward's. The teams were meeting for the first time in Lubbock since St. Edward's topped LCU 3-2 in the Heartland Conference Championships on Nov. 9, 2018. LCU is now 3-2 against SEU in five-set matches all-time. |
Next
LCU remains home for the third match of a four-match homestand Saturday, as they host St. Mary's at 1 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center.
