From CU Sports Info.
Krista Pylant
LAWTON – For the second match in a row, Cameron has battled back from a two set deficit to make a comeback in five sets. The Aggies remain undefeated at 12-0 (LSC 3-0) after defeating Eastern New Mexico (22-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-15, 15-9) Tuesday evening.
According to freshman Jenna Gillean, Cameron struggled in the first two sets because the team was not in sync, but the Aggies were determined to make a comeback.
“We just decided that we were going to come together as a team,” Gillean said. “We weren’t playing together in the first two sets. We picked up some momentum after key blocks. After that, everything just came together.”
Gillean led the Aggies with a career high 17 kills and a .389 attacking percentage. Senior Kat Evans followed up with 12 kills and 12 digs for her eighth double-double of the year. Sophomore Cristina Viera contributed 18 digs, while freshman Tori Luckenbill had 43 assists for the Ags.
Both teams were evenly matched, notching near identical numbers in kills and digs. Cameron had 53 kills on the match, while EMNU had 54, and the Aggies had 64 digs compared to the Greyhound’s 63. However, Cameron came away with the better attacking percentage, .250 to EMNU’s .104 hitting clip.
To begin the match, the first set saw six ties and four lead changes. It was back and forth action as the set knotted at seven. From there, Eastern New Mexico took the lead following an attack error by Evans. Cameron came within a point of the Greyhound’s lead after four consecutive attack errors by ENMU brought the score to 19-20. Late in the set, ENNU went on a 3-0 run to win, 22-25.
Viera began set two with a service ace, but EMNU took off on a six point run to take the lead. The Greyhound’s never looked back to take set two, 22-25. ENMU had 15 kills and ended the set with a .231 attacking percentage.
Set three saw a comeback for the Aggies despite a 0-2 start from attack errors. EMNU went on a four point run to lead 1-5. Cameron battled following three straight kills from Evans until the score knotted at six. The Aggies retained the lead and an 8-0 run late in the set drove the Aggies to a match saving third set victory, 25-12.
EMNU took a 3-0 start to set four with three straight kills. After the set tied at eight, the Aggies took off on a six point run spurred by three CU kills and three Greyhound errors. The Black and Gold held the lead to take set four, 25-15.
Cameron carried over the momentum from the fourth set, starting the final frame on a 7-2 run. The Aggies led the rest of the way through the set. After fighting back two Greyhound runs that closed the gap to two points, CU closed out the match with a decisive 4-0 run to take the set and win 15-9.
Additionally, the Cameron volleyball team picked up five votes in the latest AVCA Coaches poll released on Tuesday morning in the programs first appearance in the national poll in ten seasons.
Cameron has been inside the top-25 for five weeks, once in 1998, and for four weeks in 2001.
The Aggies will face Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in continued LSC action.