Box Score Sept. 12, 2014 Box Score
NORMAN, Okla. - A tough start to the 2014 season didn't get any easier on Friday for the Lamar Lady Cardinals volleyball team. LU dropped the first two matches of the Oklahoma Invitational to fall to 0-8 on the season. Lamar suffered a 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-16) setback in the opening match to Portland State (2-6). Lamar returned to the court to face a very talented UALR team in the second match but fell by the same match score 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23).
Lamar held an early advantage against the Vikings in the first two sets, but in both matches the Lady Cardinals watched PSU rally to reclaim the lead never to surrender it in that set. The Vikings never trailed in the third set jumping out to a 8-1 lead.
The match against UALR was quite different for the Lady Cards. Although the outcome was the same as the day's opening match, all three sets were a back-n-forth affair that saw Lamar hold late leads.
The Lady Cardinals had a one-point lead, 23-22, in the first set before UALR rallied to score the final three points. LU had a 17-16 lead in the second set but was hurt by a service, reception and attack error as the Trojans closed out the set.
It was a similar situation in the third set. Lamar built a three-point lead, 21-18, only four points shy of taking a set, but the Trojans took advantage of a couple Lamar miscues. UALR's Edina Begic followed up a Lamar attack error with a service ace to pull within a point, 21-20. The Trojans tied the match on a ball handling error on the very next play. After falling behind by a point Lamar tied the match back up at 22 before handing the momentum right back over with a service error. The Trojans scored two of the final three points to win the match.
Sophomore Chelsea Grant and junior Cortney Moore led Lamar with 13 kills in the six sets.
The Lady Cardinals will close out the Oklahoma Invitational Saturday with a 2 p.m. match against host Oklahoma.
-LAMAR-
