SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State Volleyball team continued its undefeated record at the Junell Center as it honored it's three seniors Friday night with a sweep (25-16, 25-17, 25-16) of Texas A&M –Kingsville.
With the win the Belles improve to 26-5 overall and 12-2 in the Lone Star Conference. ASU is currently riding a seven match winning streak and is 12-0 in the Stephens Arena this season. Texas A&M – Kingsville slides to 18-12 and 7-6 LSC.
"It was nice to see our kids rise to the occasion," said ASU head volleyball coach Chuck Waddington. "Abbie [Lynn] and Mallory [Blauser] attacked really well and it seemed like Brianna [Sotello] and Katie [Macleay] dug everything. We served tough and created some scoring opportunities in transition. Maggi Jo [Keffury] made great decisions which gave our kids great chances to score."
Junior Mallory Blauser led the ASU attack tonight with 16 kills and a .325 clip. The outside hitter has improved to 392 kills on the year and has averaged a team leading and conference second 4.13 kills per set. Abbie Lynn tallied 11 kills for the night and has marked double-digits kills in eight of the last nine matches, and also tallied a team high .440 clip against the Javelinas. She is currently third on the team with 272 kills in 2015.
Distributing for the Belles, Senior Maggi Jo Keffury added 34 assists to her career total 2,776. Her 12 digs on defense marked her 13th double-double of the year and brought her season total to 330. Keffury also added a block to the mix.
Anchoring the defense, Katie MacLeay and Brianna Sotello both chalked up double-digit digs for the Belles. With 14 digs, MacLeay has solidified herself in the ASU record books with the second most digs in school history with 1,740. Sotello racked up a team high 19 digs and a block on defense while adding nine kills and a service ace.
Mallory Blauser got the Belles rolling on a 6-2 run in the first set firing in a kill that was set up by senior Keffury. Up 9-5, Sotello added a service ace to give the Belles a five point lead. Sotello returned later in the set with the score 18-13 and dropped in a kill that kicked off a 7-3 run that saw Blauser finish off the set, 25-16, with another key kill.
In the second set TAMUK came out strong producing four straight points that gave them a quick 4-1 lead. Consecutive kills from Mallory Blauser, Lynn and Seaton brought the score back to four all. The squads traded points and were tied at 16-16 when Lynn took a ball to the right side and dropped it in to spark a 9-1 run. The 9-1 run propelled the Belles to a 25-17 second set victory and ASU took a 2-0 match lead into intermission.
A MacLeay service ace would start the final set. With Seaton and Mallory Blauser contributing to the attack the Belles jumped out to a 5-1 lead. With ASU up 8-4, Sotello went on a tear firing in kills on four of the next six points and would end the 8-4 run with a block that was assisted by Seaton. ASU closed the match on a kill from senior Kelsey Blauser to win 25-16.
The Belles return to action on Friday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in Lawton, Oklahoma, against Cameron.
ASU Volleyball vs Texas A&M Kingsville 6Nov15 - Images by
Angelo State University