KINGSVILLE, Texas – Setter Chloe Price had a near triple-double as University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville 21-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-22, 15-9 in a five-set thriller in their second match of the Lone Star Conference Preview.
Price dished out a season-high 51 assists and tallied 17 digs and eight kills while hitting .421 for the match. Price spread the ball around, as four Lions recorded double-digit kills in the match and the Lions hit .271 as a team.
Middle blocker Hannah Watkins was one of the main beneficiaries of Price’s big night by tallying 12 kills on a .435 attack percentage. The middle continued to be a strength for the Lions as Angelina Hardison recorded eight kills on a .350 attack percentage.
Outside hitter Caelyn Gunn had a team-high 16 kills, while right-side hitter Reagan Macha had 13 and outside hitter Nyia Anderson added 12.
After a slow start in dropping set one, the Lions bounced back by hitting .314 in set two. UAFS led by as many as eight in the set before holding off a late 5-0 Javelina rally to even the match. UAFS scored 20 of its 25 points via the kill.
The teams traded 4-0 runs to start set three and again later in the set as TAMUK took a 14-12 lead. A 6-0 Javelina run later turned a one-point set into a 2-1 lead for the Javelinas.
But the Lions responded again in set four, getting a pair of kills from Macha and Anderson to spur a 5-0 run for a 17-11 advantage. Kingsville pulled within two late in the set before Watkins and Gunn put the set away.
UAFS then hit a blistering .684 in set five without committing an error. Watkins had four of the 13 UAFS kills in the set.
Libero Paola Fragalle led four players with more than 10 digs with 18, followed by Price and Gunn with 17 and 10 from defensive specialist Taylor Lintz.
The Lions conclude the LSC Preview Saturday at noon against Angelo State.
