LONGVIEW, Texas - Hendrix defeated LeTourneau 3-2 on Friday night at Solheim Arena. The Warriors won the first two sets 25-12 and 25-19 and avoided a reverse sweep by closing the match with a 15-12 win in the fifth set.
The Warriors (10-6, 5-1 SCAC) answered an early 3-1 deficit with a four-point run on
Mary Addisyn Stubbs' serve, including two Stubbs aces, to move in front 6-3. Stubbs added two more aces later as the Warriors built the margin, and
Alexis Mahan had two kills during the closing stretch. The Warriors won seven of the final eight rallies to take the first set 25-12.
Hendrix erased a 17-15 deficit with a nine-point surge, taking control of the second set behind
Chloe Staggs' serve. Staggs served eight straight Warriors points, including three aces, while
Ava Burns,
Ana Bastos and
Addison Rud added kills during the stretch. LeTourneau got two points back, but a service error closed the Warriors' 25-19 set win.
The Warriors erased a 17-14 deficit in the third set, using a
Camryn Kennedy kill, two LeTourneau attack errors and a bad set to move in front 18-17. After LeTourneau reached set point at 24-20, the Warriors pushed back with a block by Bastos and
Enaiya Thompson and a Rud kill from
Mary Addisyn Stubbs to get within 24-23. LeTourneau closed the set on Claire Bezanilla's kill for a 25-23 result.
The Warriors' first push in the fourth set came after LeTourneau built an 8-2 lead, with Bastos recording a kill and an ace, Mahan adding a kill, and Thompson and Kennedy combining on a block to cut it to 8-6. The Warriors later moved within 16-14 behind blocks involving Burns, Rud and Bastos, plus Rud kill and a
Mary Addisyn Stubbs ace. LeTourneau answered down the stretch and took the set 25-17.
The Warriors created separation early in the fifth set, scoring the first four points behind kills from Rud and Bastos and a
Mary Addisyn Stubbs ace. Mahan added three kills as the Warriors moved ahead 11-5, but LeTourneau scored five straight points to close the margin to 11-10. The Warriors moved back to 14-10 on a LeTourneau service error and late kills by Rud and Burns, then finished the set 15-12 on another LeTourneau service error.
Rud led the Warriors with 16 kills while hitting .395 and finishing with 16.5 points.
Mary Addisyn Stubbs recorded six service aces and added 15 digs.
Chloe Staggs collected a team-high 18 digs and added three aces.
Reghan Frazzetta finished with 24 assists and 13 digs.
Up next, the Warriors travel to Shreveport, Louisiana, to face Centenary College on Saturday at 2 p.m at the Gold Dome.
