STEPHENVILLE – Texan Volleyball sweeps Southern Utah on Saturday in Wisdom Gym for the Military Appreciation game.
LaNeah Lara led the Texans with 12 kills while hitting .455. Madison Frank followed closely with 11 kills and an impressive .846 hitting percentage, and Madison Rice-Locket added eight kills to round out the balanced offensive effort. Emma Burke totaled 5 blocks for the Texan defense and Breannah Peterson totaled 4 blocks.
Megan Hodges paced the Texan offense with 22 assists, while Teya Nguyen added 15 to help drive the team’s steady attack.
Tarleton State opened the first set with momentum as Rice-Locket recorded the team’s first kill off a Hodges assist. After a brief error, Rice-Locket responded quickly with another kill to even the score. She then delivered a service ace, followed by a kill from Lara to give Tarleton State an early edge. Burke added a kill off another Hodges assist, and Lara continued to find success from the pin to keep the Texans in front. As Nguyen entered to set, Burke and Frank both connected for kills to extend the lead. Burke later added a service ace, and Rice-Locket tallied another kill to push Tarleton State ahead 10–8. After a short exchange, Frank and Peterson added kills on Nguyen’s sets, giving the Texans a solid advantage. Tarleton State’s front line began to dominate late in the set, with Frank, Lara, and Burke all finding the floor on well-timed assists from Hodges and Nguyen. A block from Frank and Peterson forced a Southern Utah timeout, but the Texans maintained control. Rice-Locket delivered another powerful swing for a kill to reach set point, and a block from Frank and Rice-Locket closed it out 25–17, giving Tarleton State the early 1–0 lead in the match.
Tarleton State dominated the second set from start to finish, claiming a 25–14 win behind a complete team effort. Frank opened the scoring with a kill from Hodges, setting the tone early. After a brief exchange, Lara and Peterson took control at the net — Peterson registering a solo block and Lara firing back-to-back kills to push Tarleton State ahead. The Texans’ front line was unstoppable, with Burke joining in on multiple block assists alongside Lara and Peterson to build a commanding 7–1 lead and force a Southern Utah timeout. Out of the break, Lara stayed hot with another kill from Hodges before Nguyen entered and immediately connected with Taylynn Biggs for a kill. The Texans continued to control the pace, highlighted by a service ace from Burke and kills from Rice-Locket and Frank as the lead extended into double digits. Nguyen kept the offense flowing with quick sets to Rice-Locket and Biggs, while Hodges continued to distribute with precision. Tarleton State defense stayed sharp late in the set, with Peterson and Frank combining for another block to stifle the Thunderbirds’ offense. Lara added another kill off a Morgan Carter assist, and Leddy Rae Guinn delivered a timely service ace to make it 20–11. Moments later, Biggs and Burke teamed up for a block before Frank put down her third kill of the set to reach set point. The Texans closed it out with a strong defensive stand, as Hodges and the front line forced a Southern Utah attack error to seal the 25–14 win and a 2–0 lead.
Tarleton State closed out the match with another strong showing, taking the final set 25–18 behind a balanced effort from their hitters and steady setting from Hodges and Nguyen. After a quick Southern Utah start, Rice-Locket got the Texans on the board with a kill from Hodges, followed by Peterson scoring off a Carter assist to even things up. Frank and Lara kept the offense rolling with back-to-back kills, while Burke and Biggs made their presence felt at the net, teaming up for a block and giving Tarleton State early momentum. Nguyen then stepped up from the service line with an ace and later connected with Burke and Biggs for kills that pushed the Texans ahead 8–5. The attack stayed consistent as Rice-Locket, Frank, and Lara each added kills to keep Tarleton State in front through the middle of the set. Nguyen continued to spread the offense, finding Biggs for another kill before Rice-Locket delivered a service ace, forcing a Southern Utah timeout with Tarleton State leading 14–11. Out of the break, Lara notched two more kills on precise sets from Nguyen and Hodges, while Guinn added a key service ace to extend the gap. Burke and Biggs again combined for a block, and Burke followed it up with her own service ace to bring Tarleton State within striking distance. With the set winding down, Frank took over offensively, recording two more kills, including the set and match winner off another smooth Hodges assist to seal the 25–18 victory and complete the sweep for the Texans.
Tarleton State Volleyball will take on Abilene Christian next at Moody Center in Abilene on Saturday. The Texans are 3-2 in conference play and 9-8 overall.
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