NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Putting up a good fight against a 27-1 team in an unfriendly environment, Lamar University's volleyball team came up just short Thursday at first place Stephen F. Austin. The Cardinals battled in every set, but couldn't hang on against a team riding a 20-game win streak and fell in three sets.

Dannisha House and Bre'Ala Box tied for the Cardinal kills lead with seven apiece, and Malaysia Murdock poured in another six. Annika Slovak and Alyssa Legette split the setting duties Thursday and each recorded double-digit dimes, and Abigale Nash, Erin Pequeno, and Kaitlyn Gil tied for the digs lead with 10 each.

Lamar kept it close early in the opening set, trailing by just three points at 7-4, but the Lady Jacks snagged two points for every one by Big Red, and that lead grew to 13-7. A 7-0 SFA run put the set out of reach and the Lady Jacks won the game 25-10.

Another long stretch of scoring by Stephen F. Austin in the second set made a hill Lamar couldn't quite climb. SFA led 16-6 before Box snapped a 6-0 run with a kill, and though LU matched them point for point for a while, SFA eventually pulled away, winning the game 25-13.

Lamar kept pace with SFA in the first eight points of the third frame and took its first lead of the match, 5-4, on an attack error by the Lady Jacks. House tied the match again at 6-6 with a demonstrative kill, but a 7-1 run by SFA after that point put the Lady Jacks up 13-7. LU trimmed that lead down to five points several times but couldn't come closer than that, and SFA held on to win the game 25-17 and the match in three sets.

The final match of the year comes Saturday, Nov. 16, at Abilene Christian University.

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