Border run no fun for VBall Lions
SAGU swept by NAIA's #1 team
Eight-match win streak snapped
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- Facing the nation’s best team, the Southwestern Assemblies of God University women’s volleyball battled hard but was no match for the University of Texas at Brownsville* during a 3-0 setback.
The Scorpions (20-0), the defending national champions, rolled during a 25-13, 25-9 and 25-19 sweep over the Lady Lions.
SAGU’s winning streak came to a halt after eight in a row. Their overall record now stands at 14-11 and are in fourth place in the Red River Athletic Conference at 5-2.
UTB has taken the last eight meetings, all by 3-0, dating back to the arrival of Head Coach Todd Lowery in 2009. His team has been a 124-7 juggernaut since he came to the bordertown.
They are 60-5 in individual games this fall.
SAGU swept both dates in 2008. The Scorpions lead the series, 11-2, going back through the 2004 season.
The Friday night match, just UTB’s fourth home appearance of the fall, was accented in pink. It is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The contest was surrounded with that emphasis along with a solid, spirited crowd.
Match Review
SAGU hit .111 (7 kills, 3 errors) in the first set, a 25-13 loss, while the Stingers were at .257 (15 kills, 6 errors).
The second game was all-UTB, at 25-9. They stung the Lions with a .632 effort, swatting 19 balls into 13 kills against a lone error.
Meanwhile, SAGU was at minus -.208, with three kills and eight miscues in 24 swings.
Down two games to none, the Purple Pride made things interesting in the third game. Utilizing an effective passing game they drew to within 20-18 before falling, 25-19.
SAGU hit .133, with nine spikes for points during 30 attacks. They made five errors. UTB had a .219 game (32 attempts, 12 kills, 5 errors).
The Scorpions finished at .324, nailing 40 kills in three games. They committed twelve errors.
SAGU players collaborated to hit .033, with 19 kills and 16 errors.
Spotlight shines on Hudson, Abbott
Caitlyn Hudson (Mansfield, Tx / Legacy HS) was the lone bright spot in the Lady Lions attack. The senior played error-free and hit .190.
Freshman JJ Abbott (Kenwood, Wash / Cedar Park Christian) had the team’s only solo block.
Kills leader Jessica Sodich (Ovilla, Tx / Ovilla Christian) was held in check by the taller UTB line-up. She fired eight kills and had six errors.
UTB had a 54-29 advantage in digs, fired nine aces and made seven solo blocks. SAGU’s service game was off, with five errors and no aces.
Through playing UT-Brownsville
“Our girls played their hearts out,” said SAGU Head Coach Hansford Moore. “UTB is that good.”
“The good news is that we will never have to come back here again, praise the Lord,” he added.
Next year SAGU joins the Sooner Athletic Conference, which currently has two nationally ranked members.
During the Lady Lions’ string of eight wins, they had assembled a 24-8 mark in individual games.
They will play Our Lady of the Lake University on Saturday night in San Antonio. The two squads are tied for fourth place in the RRAC. The conference clash will be a good litmus test for Team Lioness.
SAGU will play their final five matches at home, where they are 6-1 this season.
Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.
*School's full name is: University of Texas-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, or UTB and TSC.
