ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The AUM volleyball team suffered two setbacks on Friday afternoon to open the Reddie-Tiger Invitational, co-hosted by Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. AUM was defeated in four sets by the University of Texas at Dallas and later dropped a three-set decision to Henderson State.
 
Playing the first day of matches at the Duke Wells Center on the Henderson State campus, the Warhawks fell to 0-5 after Friday's contests.
 
MATCH 1: UT Dallas 3, AUM 1
After the Comets took the first two sets, the Warhawks avoided the sweep with a 28-26 win in set three. However, UTD prevailed with a 25-19 win in set four to take the match.
 
Two Warhawks posted double figures in kills, led by a season-high of 13 from Anyaliz Rodirguez, followed by Kendall McCain's 11.
 
Salome Dejesus De La Torres dug out a season-best 19 receptions and tacked on six of the team's nine service aces.
 
Taylor Lewis also added a season-high 19 digs, while Addi Vinson totaled 12 digs and 11 assists for her second double-double in the first five matches of the season.
 
Set 1
Down 14-8 in the first set, AUM saw kills from Kendall McCain and Elise Fulgham to cut the deficit to 14-10, but an 11-4 run by UTD, including four kills by Jane Burkhardt, to take the opener 25-14.
 
Set 2
Ahead 9-6, UT Dallas used a 7-4 run to sprint ahead 17-10. However, after taking a timeout, AUM won the next five points thanks to kills by McCain and Anyaliz Rodriguez to make it a 17-15 affair.
 
Despite a timeout by the Comets, the Warhawks evened the set at 19 with a Carly Cooper service ace, finishing off a 9-2 run.
 
On the next point, a service error gave the ball back to UT Dallas, and that would be enough to hold off AUM's late effort to win set two, 25-23.
 
In set two, the Warhawks smashed 15 kills, while holding the Comets to nine.
 
Set 3
Neither team had more than a one-point lead early in the frame. Down 5-4, the Comets used a 9-4 run thanks to back-to-back aces by Sydney Sabin.
 
That did not stop AUM, as they won the next seven points to reclaim the lead 15-13. After kills by Jaslyn Montgomery and Emma Claire Long, Salome Dejesus De La Torres totaled four service aces during the run, including three straight to even the set at 13.
 
The teams fought back-and-forth. Down 24-23 and with match point for the Comets, Dejesus De La Torres picked up her fifth ace of the set to even the set at 24 and force lingering death.
 
Tied at 26, the Warhawks used a Comet attack error and block by Rodriguez and Courtney Joseph to win the set, 28-26.
 
Set 4
Despite a 15-13 lead, Texas Dallas ended the set on a 12-4 run to win the final set, 25-19.
 
MATCH 2: Henderson State 3, AUM 0
 
The Reddies took the sweep by a 29-27, 25-22, 25-21 score, despite AUM having nine service aces as a team.
 
Kendall McCain totaled 12 kills in the match, followed by Salome Dejesus De La Torres with 11 kills and digs each.
 
Set 1
Tied at seven, AUM used a 5-0 run, taking advantage of HSU's errors at the net. Anyaliz Rodriguez slammed a kill that forced the Reddies to burn a timeout.
 
Despite the Warhawks having an 18-11 lead, the Reddies began mounting a comeback. The won the next seven points on four kills by Kaitlyn Steffes during the run.
 
With Henderson State on set point, Kendall McCain forced lingering death with a kill of her own. From there, the set went back-and-forth. Later, tied at 27, an AUM attack error and a Steffes kill gave the opening set to HSU.
 
The two teams combined for 31 kills in the opening frame.
 
Set 2
The Warhawks rallied from a 7-3 deficit early in the second set to tie at eight after a Salome Dejesus De La Torres kill.
 
Ahead 19-18, the Reddies pulled away with three straight points off of kills by Skye Johns and Steffes to help the home team take the second set, 25-22.
 
Set 3
AUM posted a .333 swing percentage in the third with 17 kills on 39 swings and four errors committed, but HSU had a better percentage (.364) despite having less kills (14) than AUM.
 
The Warhawks played from behind from the start, and despite a 2-1 lead early, a 7-2 run early was the deciding factor in the Reddies' third set win, 25-21, to take the match.
 
AUM did make it a 22-21 score late on a Jaslyn Montgomery kill, but the Reddies won the final three points.
 
Up Next
AUM wraps up the Reddie-Tiger Invitational with two matches at nearby Ouachita Baptist University, taking on Arkansas Fort Smith and the co-host Tigers on Saturday.
 
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