WICHITA FALLS, Texas (September 28, 2024) – Lubbock Christian University bounced back after dropping the first set to claim a 3-1 victory over Midwestern State on Saturday at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, winning by scores of 24-26, 25-23, 25-14, and 25-9. The victory not only snapped a five-match losing streak but also marked LCU's first Lone Star Conference win and their initial road triumph of the season.
The Lady Chaps (5-7, 1-1) offense was paced by Payton Murray, who finished with 17 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .357. Bryleigh Schweer added 15 and Lily Bickley chipped in with 14 as part of balanced Lubbock Christian attack. Defensively, the Lady Chaps had three players reach double figures in digs, including Leddy Rae Guinn's whopping 34 digs. They also received 16 digs from Kiana Fallaha and 14 more from Kayton Genenbacher, which completed a double-double. From the front row, Bickley contributed seven blocks.
Game Notes
» Lubbock Christian had three players in double figures in kills, led by career-high kill marks from Payton Murray and Bryleigh Schweer. Murray is a Texoma area local, graduating from Holliday High School.
» Lubbock Christian had three players in double figures in digs, led by a career-high 34 from Leddy Rae Guinn. The most by a Lady Chaps member since Maddie DeGuire produced 35 against Western New Mexico on Sept. 27, 2019.
» Lily Bickley had a match-high four aces, which matched a career and season high. Toss in her 14 kills and seven blocks and she had a season-best 21.5 points. The last Lady Chap to have a better point-performance in a four-set match was Emily Hanaway, who had 22.0 points at UT Permian Basin on Sept. 12, 2017.
» LCU dominated the third set with a 25-14 victory and followed up with a 25-9 win in the fourth, never trailing in either set to clinch the match.
» Lubbock Christian served up five aces on the way to a fourth-set victory (three by Bickley).
» LCU produced a season-high 9.0 team blocks, with Bickley registering seven (all assisted blocks) to lead the way.
» Kayton Genenbacher recorded her seventh double-double of the season and 31st of her collegiate career, as she had 52 assists and 14 digs. The 52 assists in a four-set match are the most by a Lady Chaps member since Bradi Marshall had 52 in four sets against St. Edward's on Sept. 14, 2018.
» MSU dropped to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in Lone Star Conference play. They have dropped 12 consecutive LSC contests (carrying over from last season).
» The meeting was the 50th all-time meeting between the two programs and LCU improved to 33-17 all-time against MSU. The Lady Chaps have claimed wins in five consecutive head-to-head meetings and they improved to 14-8 all-time in Wichita Falls against MSU.
» The Lady Chaps are now 1-4 this season in true road matches.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Lady Chaps fell in a back-and-forth first set, losing 26-24 in a game that featured six lead changes and was tied 13 times. Neither team led by more than three points in the match. Bickley (5) and Murray (4) combined for nine kills in the set for the Lady Chaps
SET 2 | Lubbock Christian fired back after dropping the first set to take the second set 25-23, evening the match at 1-1. The Lady Chaps took control of the set lead early on at 4-3 and never looked back. Lubbock Christian led by as many as seven points at 15-8 before finishing off the set, totaling 16 kills while only registering two attack errors. Lubbock Christian's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking six Midwestern State attacks in the stanza. Murray produced five kills and two blocks in the set.
SET 3 | Lubbock Christian went ahead 2-1 in the match after defeating the Mustangs in set three. The Lady Chaps scored the first four points and never trailed in the set to secure a 25-14 victory. Lubbock Christian ended on a high note, claiming its biggest lead, 11 points, to close out the set. Schweer posted six kills and a block in the frame.
SET 4 | Lubbock Christian closed out the match with a 25-9 fourth-set victory, winning their third set in a row. The Lady Chaps opened the set with another 4-0 start. Lubbock Christian surged on an 11-0 run in the set (two aces and a pair of kills from Bickley and Murray was part of the run) opened up as much as a 16 point lead at 24-8 before finishing off the stanza. Lubbock Christian also supplemented their offense with five aces in the set (three by Bickley). Murray closed out the match with five kills in the set.
WHAT'S NEXT
The road show continues Friday at 7 p.m. (CT), as LCU travels to Portales, N.M. to face Eastern New Mexico in an LSC contest inside Greyhound Arena.
