BEAUMONT, Texas - In a Card vs. Card volleyball match Tuesday night in the McDonald Gym, Abigale Nash was key in Lamar University's four-set win over the University of the Incarnate Word. The freshman from Tuscon, Ariz., had 18 kills and 13 digs, her first collegiate double-double.

Alyssa Legette also had her first career double-double with 28 assists and 11 digs, and Erin Pequeno had 28 digs. Tomar Thomas poured in an additional 17 kills.

"I thought our student-athletes did a really good job of fighting, playing really good defense, and being relentless in pursuit of the ball," said head coach Michelle Kuester. "That's something that we've really focused on in practice the last week or so, and seeing that pay off and show up on the floor is really good as a coach."

The first three sets were incredibly close between the two Cardinals teams with 24 ties and 10 lead changes, and nowhere was that more evident than in the first set. The game was tied 10 times and changed hands four times. LU took a 3-0 early lead before the first UIW tie, and San Antonio's Cardinals led by as much as three before Big Red rode a scoring wave of its own to a 17-14 lead and an Incarnate Word timeout. UIW came storming back to take the lead, 20-18, but kills by Nash and Dannisha House put Lamar back out front. Bre'Ala Box closed the first set 25-22 in favor of LU with an ace.

The second set again came down to just a few Cardinal mistakes; nine ties and four lead changes occurred from first serve to set point, though most of the contention took place early in the game. Lamar took the lead for good at 13-12 and led by as much as six, 21-15, before UIW closed the gap. Even so the real Cardinals held Incarnate Word off long enough to take a 25-20 win. Nash had 10 kills and four digs at this point in the match.

Five ties and two more lead changes took place in the third set, but this time luck favored Incarnate Word. The "other" Cardinals held off five ties and an early lead from Lamar to take the third set. Big Red came within a point late in the game, 23-22, but UIW used a kill and a service ace to stay alive for one more set.

Lamar stepped on the gas early in the fourth set and never looked back, leading by as much as 10 over a UIW team that appeared sluggish and trepidatious in the final game. A small Incarnate run pulled the visiting Birds within eight about halfway through the set, but four more kills from Nash and the defensive prowess of Pequeno kept Lamar well in front. Your Cardinals won the set 25-16 and the match 3-1.

Lamar will return to action Saturday in the second of four consecutive home matches for LU. The Cardinals will host McNeese in the home half of the Battle of the Border at 1 p.m.