HOUSTON – After close to a month of matches away from home, the Celts of the University of St. Thomas opened the home portion of their volleyball schedule Saturday with a four-set win over Centenary College (La.).
Scores of the match were 26-24, 26-28, 25-19, and 25-20.
UST freshman Alaina Lanik (FR/Richmond, Texas) turned in her third triple-double performance for the Celts, knocking down 11 kills while also recording 17 assists and 19 digs. Two of her three triple-doubles have come against Centenary College.
Alyssa Ajlouny (SO/Cypress, Texas) knocked down a team-high 14 kills to lead the Celts (4-8), who improved to 2-4 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. Emily Jaroszewski (JR/Sugar Land, Texas) put away 11 kills and assisted on six blocks, while Annie Woods (FR/Livingston, Texas) tallied eight kills with only one attacking error for a .412 hitting percentage.
The Celts' defensive efforts were led by libero Kaylyn Latin (JR/Houston, Texas), who recorded 31 digs in the match. Kelsie Walker (JR/Baytown, Texas) posted a double-double for the Celts with 20 digs and 26 assists.
Alyssa Davis' 18 kills led Centenary College (5-12, 3-3 SCAC).
Saturday's competitive match featured 44 tie scores and 18 lead changes. The first set alone saw the score tied 16 times and the lead change nine times.
The largest lead for either team was six points in set two, when Centenary led 17-11. Even that lead would not be safe, as the Celts would eventually tie the set and twice faced set point before Centenary eventually came away with a 28-26 victory.
In set three, the Celts fell behind four points at 11-7, but would eventually tie the score at 12-12. UST pulled away at the end of the set with six unanswered points, which included kills from Lanik, Jarosewski, and the set-winning kill from Courtney Bates (FR/Humble, Texas).
UST also fall behind four points in set four, but again the Celts clawed their way back into a tie with their guests. The end of the set also mirrored set three, with the Celts scoring the last five points to take the match.
The Celts return to action Tuesday, Oct. 1, when they host LeTourneau in a non-conference match. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at UST's Jerabeck Center.
