LUBBOCK, Texas (November 16, 2024) – In a thrilling Senior Day showdown at Rip Griffin Center, Lubbock Christian University delivered a record-breaking performance in their Lone Star Conference regular-season finale but ultimately fell to Dallas Baptist 3-2 (25-19, 21-25, 25-21, 30-32, 15-11) on Saturday. The Lady Chaps set team records with 80 assists and 82 kills—both tying as the highest marks in NCAA Division II this season—while setter Kayton Genenbacher shattered the program's single-match assist record with 73, the most by any Division II player this year. Despite the narrow loss, LCU earned the final berth to the Lone Star Conference Championships after a lengthy tiebreaker process, securing their first postseason appearance since 2021.
A win on Saturday would have secured the No. 6 seed for the LSC Championships. However, the loss introduced a realm of uncertainty, as the LSC tiebreaking procedures remain as enigmatic as the Riemann Hypothesis. The defeat dropped Lubbock Christian's record to 13-13 overall and 9-7 in LSC play. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Christian, St. Mary's, and UT Permian Basin each earned victories on Saturday, resulting in four programs tied at 9-7 in conference play, competing for the final three berths in the LSC Championships. The single-elimination tournament, featuring eight teams, begins Thursday in Canyon, Texas.
Through the LSC's tiebreaking formula, St. Mary's claimed the No. 6 seed by winning the most head-to-head sets among the tied teams. Oklahoma Christian secured the No. 7 seed, having won the most head-to-head sets between themselves, LCU, and UTPB. This left LCU and UTPB vying for the final spot, with LCU's 3-0 victory over UTPB in their conference meeting propelling them to the No. 8 seed.
For the third consecutive season, LCU's postseason fate was determined by a tiebreaker scenario. This season, however, marked the first time the tiebreaker worked in their favor. Last year, LCU also finished 9-7 in LSC play but became the first program in conference history to miss the tournament despite a winning conference record. With this year's tiebreaker results, UTPB now becomes the second program to endure that fate—a situation that, prior to last season, had never occurred in LSC history but has now happened in back-to-back years.
Back to the focus on LCU's regular season finale, the Lady Chaps offense was paced by Lily Bickley, who finished with 24 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .500. Kiana Fallaha added 16 kills and Payton Murray chipped in with 15 as part of a Lubbock Christian attack that had five players with double-digit kills. Kayton Genenbacher contributed as well by serving up 73 assists and added 13 digs for a double-double. Defensively, LCU had four players reach double figures in digs, highlighted by Leddy Rae Guinn's 21 (they also had 13 from Genenbacher, and 11 more from Abby Benitez). From the front row, Bickley, Schweer and Tatum Fleitman each added five rejections.
Game Notes
» Kayton Genenbacher not only notched her 14th double-double of the season (38th of her LCU career), but she set a LCU program record (under the current rally scoring format, which was introduced in 2008) with her 73 assists, which matches the highest mark by a NCAA Division II setter this season and a mark that has not been surpassed in Division II since Clarion's London Fuller produced 83 since on Sept. 9, 2022. As a team, LCU had 80 assists, which is the highest mark in NCAA Division II this season and the most since Augustana had 81 on Nov. 11, 2022.
» Lubbock Christian had five players in double figures in kills. Bickley's 24 kills were a career high and LCU's 82 team kills is a new program record (under the current rally scoring format). The total matches the highest mark in NCAA Division II play this season. LCU had a program record 27 kills in the fourth set.
» Lubbock Christian had four players in double figures in digs. Freshman Leddy Rae Guinn led LCU with 20 digs for her eighth match of the season with at least 20 digs.
» Bryleigh Schweer and Lily Bickley were both efficient in attacking situations in the match, as Schweer accumulated 14 kills while hitting .500. and Bickley also hit .500 with her 24 kills on 38 chances (she also had a career-best 26.5 points). LCU lost despite hitting .309 as a team, which marked the first time LCU had lost a match hitting .300-or-better since falling to Colorado Mines hitting .304 on Sept. 10, 2021.
» LCU lost despite a 94-90 advantage in points, which is also a program record for points in a match (under the current rally scoring format). And of all the points, there was only one point from a serving ace, as Olivia Elofsson had LCU's lone ace.
» Friday, LCU lost despite 12.0 blocks and the last time (prior to Friday) LCU recorded at least 10.0 blocks and lost was ironically Sept. 30, 2023 against UT Tyler (14.0 blocks). Saturday, they made it consecutive matches losing with at least 10.0 blocks, as they had 11.0 blocks against DBU.
» The Lady Chaps dropped to 4-4 in five-set decisions. The last time LCU has dropped consecutive matches (overall) in five sets was Sept. 23, 2005 (vs. UT Permian Basin) and Sept. 24, 2005 (vs. Houston Christian … then known as Houston Baptist) of the 2005 season.
» The win marked DBU's second-ever win in Lubbock and they have won in consecutive trips to the Hub City (they are 2-17 overall in Lubbock). DBU has three consecutive head-to-head wins over LCU in the all-time series, but LCU has a commanding 38-7 advantage in the all-time series.
» The Lady Chaps, who matched Sul Ross, with the fewest home games scheduled for 2024, completed their home slate with a 5-3 record.
» DBU closed out the regular season with an 18-8 record and 12-4 conference mark. They received 26 kills from Delaney Fuller, who also had 17 digs to complete a double-double. She had 27 points.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Lady Chaps dropped the opening set 25-19 in spite of a strong performance on the attacking side. Lubbock Christian put together a .325 attack percentage with 18 kills in the set loss. Kiana Fallaha (6) and Lily Bickley (5) combined for 11 of the kills.
SET 2 | Lubbock Christian fired back from a first-set loss to take set-two 25-21, evening the match at 1-1. The Lady Chaps led from the opening point on in the set to earn the victory. Lubbock Christian opened up as much as a seven-point lead at 19-12 before closing out the set, totaling 16 kills in the process. The Lady Chaps hit .324 over the course of the set. Lubbock Christian's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Dallas Baptist attacks in the stanza (Fleitman and Schweer each had three blocks in the set).
SET 3 | Lubbock Christian lost set three, putting the Lady Chaps in a 2-1 hole. The Lady Chaps came up short by the score of 25-21. Dallas Baptist grabbed the advantage for good at 22-21 in a set that was tied up 11 times before the Patriots took over in the second half of the stanza (the set was tied as late as 21-21). Payton Murray led LCU with four kills in the set.
SET 4 | Lubbock Christian then responded to secure the fourth set 32-30 to force a fifth set. A solid performance on the attacking end led the Lady Chaps to victory in the set. Lubbock Christian put together a .382 attack percentage with 27 kills in the set win. After the lead changed hands nine times, the Lady Chaps took control for good at 31-30 and rode that advantage to victory. The set was tied on 23 occasions and LCU fought off five match-point serves from DBU to force the fifth set. Bickley produced a whopping 11 kills in the set.
SET 5 | Lubbock Christian was on the wrong side of a back-and-forth match, winning the second and fourth sets, but losing the first, third and fifth, which they dropped by the score of 15-11, to fall in the match. The Lady Chaps dropped the fifth set in spite of a strong performance on the attacking side. Lubbock Christian registered a .348 attack percentage with eight kills in the set loss. Delaney Fuller of DBU had six kills in the set.
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU makes their first LSC Championship appearance since 2021 Thursday in Canyon, as they head to "The Box" as the No.8-seed and face nationally ranked No.6 West Texas A&M for a LSC postseason edition of the Rivalry on the Range. The match is scheduled for 5 p.m. and is one of four matches on the opening day of the event.
