Houston, Texas - The University of St. Thomas took to the court in the Avery Rae Invitational for their second match of the day. After a thrilling 5-set victory vs. Hardin-Simmons earlier, the Celts faced the Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz. Their nickname might not scare you, but the Banana Slugs can play some fast-paced and powerful volleyball. The emotions of Senior night energized and carried the home team early before dropping a 25-23 first set.

The second set mirrored the intensity of the first, with both teams constantly battling for the lead. The Celts briefly surged ahead but couldn't hold off a late Santa Cruz rally, which sealed the set at 25-21.

Entering the third set, UST ran out of gas, and UC Santa Cruz quickly gained control with a 12-6 lead that continued to grow until the visitors finished with a 25-13 third-set win and a 3-0 match victory.

Junior Audrey Cataline again led the Celts with 10 kills, while Senior Laynee Beam contributed four kills with a solid .267 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Celts were anchored by their stellar senior class celebrating one of their last matches at the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center. Kara Spice led the hosts with 21 digs, while Kendall Howard added five.

Up Next

The Celts aim to regroup as they continue the Avery Rae Invitational tomorrow against LeTourneau University at 11 AM. Stay tuned for more updates on UST Volleyball at ustcelts.com or by following @USTAthletics and @ustwvball on Instagram and X.