ABILENE, Texas — Lamar University battled North Texas throughout the match but ultimately fell in four sets, 27-25, 15-25, 25-23, 25-22, on Saturday afternoon at Moody Coliseum to conclude play at the ACU Invitational.
The opening set featured seven ties before Lamar seized early momentum with a 3-0 run to build a 6-2 lead.
Maja Malinowska and
Nisaan Martinez each recorded a kill during the surge while
Saida Maksoud added a service ace.
North Texas answered by tying the score twice, but the Cardinals responded with a 9-1 run to extend their advantage to six points.
Malinowska fueled the rally with two kills and teamed with Maksoud for consecutive block assists.
Lamar appeared poised to claim the set, holding a 23-19 lead, but North Texas rallied with a 5-0 run to take a 24-23 advantage.
The Mean Green maintained the momentum, scoring the final three points to secure the opening set.
Lamar never trailed in the second set, using an early 6-0 run to build a 7-1 advantage.
The Cardinals maintained the momentum, pushing their lead to seven points with three consecutive scores.
Riley Johnson teamed with
Kinley Elms and
Grace Hill for a pair of block assists while Hill added a service ace.
Lamar continued to pull away, taking a 15-7 lead after a 3-0 run sparked by kills from Johnson and Malinowska.
The Cardinals closed the set on a 5-1 run to secure the victory and even the match at one set apiece.
North Texas built a three-point lead midway through the third set, but the Cardinals battled back as the score was tied four times down the stretch.
Lamar appeared poised to take the set after scoring back-to-back points for a 23-21 advantage.
Martinez sparked the surge with a kill before teaming with Johnson for a block assist.
The Mean Green answered with a decisive 4-0 run, however, to rally for the set victory and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
After four early ties, North Texas seized control of the fourth set with a 5-0 run, stretching its lead to seven points.
The Cardinals rallied with a 6-2 run to trim the deficit to one point, with Malinowska accounting for four kills during the surge.
North Texas responded by capitalizing on two Lamar attack errors to close out the set and secure the match victory.
MATCH NOTES
- Malinowska recorded her 34th career double-double and third straight, finishing with 17 kills, 11 digs and five block assists.
- Hill added 11 kills and three digs while Martinez contributed seven kills and three block assists.
- Lamar out blocked North Texas 27-18.
- Maksoud totaled seven block assists, four digs and three kills while Johnson added five block assists and one kill.
- Katelyn Hughes posted a double-double with 16 assists and 15 digs.
- Gabby Baker anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs, and Alexa Gonzalez finished with 17 assists, six digs and two service aces.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will open the Liberty Mountain Madness tournament against Liberty at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 in Lynchburg, Va.
#PeckEmCards
