DENTON, Texas – UAFS Volleyball posted a 2-0 day at Denton Volleyfest Friday, earning a pair of 3-1 wins over Henderson State and Texas Woman's.
The Lions conclude the weekend Saturday at 11:30 a.m. against Colorado Christian and at 7 p.m. versus Midwestern State.
UAFS 3, Henderson State 1
The dynamic duo of outside hitters Caelyn Gunn and Nyia Anderson each recorded double-doubles with 16 kills apiece, with Gunn recording a team-high 19 digs and Anderson 15 to lead the Lions to a win over in-state foe Henderson State.
UAFS received 36 assists from setter Scarlette Young, as well as 12 from Brelee Mauldin. The Lions had five players record double figure digs, with libero Brooke Rifkin collecting 14.
The Lions handed Henderson its first loss of the season, as they recorded at least 14 kills in each set. UAFS recorded 17 kills and hit .326 in set three as they broke a 1-1 tie.
Set four saw the Lions play from ahead most of the set, but the Reddies wouldn't go down without a fight. UAFS had multiple three-point leads, but a 3-0 HSU run put the Reddies up, 18-17. UAFS answered with a 6-2 run, and held off one last HSU rally to take the win.
UAFS hit .212 for the match and tallied eight aces and eight blocks. Middle blocker Hannah Watkins contributed on five of the blocks.
UAFS 3, Texas Woman's 1
UAFS held on in a close battle with former Lone Star Conference opponent Texas Woman's as they went 2-0 on the day.
The Lions started fast, hitting .308 in set one and led by as many as six on multiple occasions before taking the 25-20 set win. They then rallied back from a 21-16 deficit in set two with a 9-2 run to take a 2-0 advantage. UAFS had three blocks during the rally.
Set three was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing hands six times after both teams reached 20. UAFS had a match point opportunity at 25-24, but the Pioneers rattled off three straight points after a pair of UAFS attack errors to force a fourth set.
UAFS trailed 19-17 in set four before a 4-0 run put the Lions up 21-19. Later tied at 23-23, a kill by right-side hitter Morgan Creer and a TWU attack error gave the Lions the match win.
Anderson led the Lions with 13 kills and 25 digs, while Gunn added 12 kills and 15 digs. Mauldin recorded her first career double-double, tallying 16 assists and 10 digs. Young added 27 assists for the Lions.
Watkins continued to be a force at the net, recording nine kills and eight blocks. Creer also added to her block totals with seven blocks. UAFS had 14 blocks for the match.
