Lubbock Christian University Athletics

ODESSA, Texas (October 30, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University strengthened its postseason push Friday night, surviving a furious UT Permian Basin rally and riding a career-high 16 kills from Camdyn Sears to a 25-18, 25-21, 24-26, 25-23 Lone Star Conference victory inside Falcon Dome.
 
The Lady Chaparrals improved to 12-13 overall and 8-7 in LSC play, climbing into ninth place in the race for nine LSC Championship berths. UTPB fell to 8-12 and 3-11.
 
Sears hit .400 without an attack error, adding 16 assists, seven digs, two aces and two blocks for her 14th double-double of the season and 37th of her LCU career.
 
Freshmen Kayson Reeves and Shaylee Stevens joined Sears in double figures with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Reeves added six block assists, while Stevens matched a career high with five blocks. LCU finished with 13 total blocks, its second-highest total this season.
LCU appeared headed for a sweep with a 24-18 third-set lead before UTPB scored eight consecutive points to force a fourth. The Falcons then opened the fourth with five straight before LCU regrouped.
 
Tied 23-23, a Sears attack originally ruled out was overturned following an LCU challenge, giving the Lady Chaps match point. Sears followed with an ace to finish the win.
 
Nickilah Whatley led UTPB with 12 kills, while Kierra Freeman recorded 21 assists and 10 digs.

Game Notes
» Lubbock Christan claimed their second-highest block total with 13 blocks Friday, which is a season high on the road and their highest road total since producing 13 at St. Edward's on Nov. 12, 2021. LCU produced 24 block assists, which is a season high and their highest total since 32 on Oct. 14, 2024 against Texas A&M-International (highest road total since 26 on Sept. 25, 2021 at Midwestern State). The match Friday was  their third match with at least 20 block assists this season. Individually, Kayson Reeves and Tatum Fleitman each had six blocks (all block-assists) and Shaylee Stevens added five.
 
» Camdyn Sears posted 16 kills and 16 assists kills for her 14^th double-double this season (and 37th of her career), as she has double-doubles in six of the last eight matches. Sears, who never had a double-digit performance in kills prior to Oct. 16, hit double-digits for a fifth time and they have come over a six-match stretch. The sophomore, who also added two blocks, two aces and seven digs, finished with a career-high in kills with 16.
 
» A pair of freshman hit double figures in kills. Shaylee Stevens reached double-figures in kills for the second time this season, as she finished with 10 kills off a hitting percentage of .250. Stevens also matched a season/career high with five blocks. Kayson Reeves had 11 kills, reaching double figures for a fourth time (first since Sept. 29 vs. Eastern N.M.) this season and in her LCU career.
 
» Freshman setter Lauren Hanson dished out 27 assists (one shy of matching her career-high of 28). Hanson, who hit the 20-assist mark for a third time, also had seven digs, an ace and her first collegiate kill.
 
» UTPB had 11 aces and additionally had 10 serving errors. It is the second time this season an LCU opponent has had double figures in each category (Lynn had 10 and 10 on Sept. 4, 2026), and the last time an LCU opponent had 11 aces and still had 10 serving errors was on Oct. 11, 2023 (Texas Woman's had 11 and 10).
 
» The Lady Chaps had a trio of players in double figures in digs, with Sienna Cavalier matching a career high with 14, freshman Haley Wheeler having a career-high with 11 and Leigh Jespersen also finishing with 11.
 
» LCU, with a 53-51 advantage in kills and a .240 to .133 advantage in the percentages, improved to 10-0 this season in each category, when leading each category.
 
» Lubbock Christian played in their seventh match this season ending in four sets, and they improve their record to 3-4 in four-set matches.
 
» The Lady Chaps, closing out their regular season playing the third of an eventual five-match road match, improved to 4-6 in road play on the season.
 
» With LCU claiming their fourth consecutive win in the all-time series, they improve to 46-11 all-time over the Falcons. LCU was playing at Falcon Dome for the first time since Oct. 8, 2022 and they improved to 21-4 all-time against UTPB in Odessa (three straight wins in Odessa).

How It Happened
 
SET 1 | LCU 25, UTPB 18
- The Lady Chaps used early UTPB errors, a Shaylee Stevens kill and a Camdyn Sears ace to build a 5-1 lead, then added kills from Stevens and Camryn Blair to move ahead 8-3.
- UTPB erased a 10-6 deficit with five straight points, including three Makenna Grimes kills, to go in front 11-10 before Sears answered with a kill that tied the set at 11-11.
- Sears' kill sparked a 4-0 response and the Lady Chaps won five of the next six points to move ahead 15-12, with a Haley Wheeler ace and kills from Sears and Kayson Reeves included in the stretch.
- After the Falcons got back within 16-15, the Lady Chaps moved back ahead 19-15 and closed the set 25-18, getting late kills from Tatum Fleitman and Reeves before consecutive attack errors finished it.
- Reeves had three kills and three blocks in the frame for LCU.
 
SET 2 | LCU 25, UTPB 21
- UTPB moved ahead 15-10 after a service ace by Giselle Orellana capped an early stretch that included kills from Orellana, Nickilah Whatley and Kaitlyn Salgado.
- The Lady Chaps worked back into the set with kills from Sears, Stevens and Tatum Fleitman, then used consecutive blocks involving Fleitman and Stevens to tie it at 17-17 before taking an 18-17 lead (8-2 LCU run).
- After the Falcons tied the set at 18-18, the Lady Chaps went back in front and stayed ahead through the closing stretch, closing the set on a 7-3 surge.
- Reeves had a kill to make it 22-20, and the Lady Chaps scored the final three points, finishing the 25-21 set win on a Reeves service ace.
- Stevens led LCU with four kills and a pair of blocks in the set.
 
SET 3 | UTPB 26, LCU 24
- The Lady Chaps moved ahead 5-2 early with kills from Sears and Stevens.
- The lead grew to 17-10 as Sears, Hope Gonsioroski, Tatum Fleitman and Stevens added kills through the middle of the set.
- Reeves and Sears helped the Lady Chaps push the margin to 24-18, but what almost turned out to turn the Halloween spooks a day early, UTPB scored the final eight points, including two Emma Gonzalez aces and closing kills from Addison Parks and Makenna Grimes, to take the set 26-24.
- Sears (7) and Reeves (5) combined for 12 of LCU's 18 kills in the set.
 
SET 4 | LCU 25, UTPB 23
- UTPB would take the closing 8 points from the prior set and combine for a 13-0 run, as they opened with the first five points of the fourth set. Trailing 5-0, Lady Chaps worked back to 9-7 behind two Sears kills and later kills from Camryn Blair and Tatum Fleitman.
- After the Falcons moved ahead 16-13, Gonsioroski put down a kill, Leigh Jespersen served two aces, and a Stevens-Tatum Fleitman block helped the Lady Chaps take a 17-16 lead.
- The teams traded points late before UTPB tied the set at 23-23, but Sears answered with a kill (originally ruled an attack error to put UTPB up 24-23, but it was reversed on a key LC challenge) and followed with a service ace to finish the Lady Chaps' 25-23 set win.
- Sears led LCU in the final frame with four kills.
 
What's Next
Lubbock Christian (8-7 LSC) climbed into ninth place Friday with their four-set victory at UT Permian Basin, while losses by West Texas A&M and Oklahoma Christian strengthened the Lady Chaps' postseason position. LCU visits Angelo State Saturday and Midwestern State on Nov. 6. Winning both would produce a 10-7 conference finish, guaranteeing a berth if West Texas A&M and Western New Mexico each lose at least one remaining match. A 9-8 finish also keeps LCU in contention but requires additional help. The top nine teams qualify for the LSC Championships. Saturday's LCU contest at No.5 Angelo State is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at Junell Center.