Volleyball split a pair of SCAC matches Saturday, falling to Dallas 3-1 in the morning and bouncing back to defeat Centenary 3-0 in the nightcap.

Dallas

In the Celts' first match of the day at the Hughey Gym in Sherman, Texas, a tightly contested match broke against St. Thomas. Dallas took the match in four sets with scores of 25-16, 22-25, 27-25, 25-21.

Here's a set-by-set recap of the match:

• First set: Dallas started strong, taking leads of 6-2 and 12-5 before riding solid play to a comfortable set win. St. Thomas committed 10 attack errors in the set, making it difficult to mount a comeback.

• Second set: The two teams were evenly matched early in the second set, but St. Thomas displayed a variety of offensive talent to make a run of 10 consecutive points to go up 16-7 in the set. Dallas made a run of their own, but St. Thomas pulled away late to secure the set victory.

• Third set: The third set remained close throughout as neither team could manage to pull ahead by more than four points. The Celts displayed determination until the end of the set, but Dallas was able to put the set away late, 27-25.

• Fourth set: Looking to force a fifth set, St. Thomas took the early lead in the fourth behind strong offense and defense. However, the Celts struggled to continue to take advantage of their best opportunities, ultimately falling in the set and the match.

Standout performers for St. Thomas:

• Audrey Cataline led the way for the Celts with a huge all-around stat line, recording 19 kills, 14 digs, and 21.0 total points in the match.

• Trinity Atkins had a strong match as well, recording 13 kills for St. Thomas. Trinity's offensive abilities helped the Celts to keep the match competitive throughout.

• Kendall Howard was highly productive as the team's top setter in this one, setting up 23 assists and securing 11 digs in a double-double effort for the Celts.

Centenary

The Celts bounced back in the nightcap, displaying strong defense and dominating offense in a three-set sweep of Centenary. The Celts controlled all three sets, winning the match with scores of 25-15, 25-12, 25-10.

Here's a set-by-set recap of the match:

• First set: A well-balanced attack allowed St. Thomas to jump out to an early 7-1 lead with points from four different players in that stretch. The Celts continued to take advantage of opportunities throughout the set and kept Centenary at an arm's length throughout the set and won, 25-15.

• Second set: The Celts' dominance continued in the second set, which featured two different runs from St. Thomas of five or more consecutive points. The Celts used those runs to fuel another blowout set victory, this time 25-12.

• Third set: St. Thomas saved perhaps their most impressive set for last, allowing only four kills to Centenary and recording 16 of their own. St. Thomas led at one point 16-4 in the set and cruised to a 25-10 victory to seal the match, all while Centenary recorded more attack errors than kills for the match.

Standout performers for St. Thomas:

• Audrey Cataline fronted the Celts' assault again in the nightcap. She recorded team-highs in kills (13), points (15.5) and digs (21) in another dominant effort.

• Karrington Kays recorded 9 kills in an all-around strong performance. Her presence at the net was key for the Celts in this match as she accumulated 11.0 total points.

• Alexis Bodunrin matched Karrington's total with 9 kills in the match. Her dynamic offense was a highlight of the match for St. Thomas as she posted an impressive .533 hitting percentage for the match.

After a 1-1 day in conference action, the Celts find themselves 8-6 in SCAC play, good for fourth in the conference. Next up, they take on Austin College Sunday morning in a key SCAC match.