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Box Score 2 KINGSVILLE – The Wayland Baptist women's volleyball team came ever closer to posting its first victory of the season here Saturday night , narrowly falling to Our Lady of the Lake University in the Pioneers' final outing of a tournament at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Wayland (0-4) dropped the first two sets 25-11, 25-12 before regrouping and winning sets three and four, 25-10, 25-19. In the final match, the Pioneers led by as many four points but couldn't hold on, and Our Lady of the Lake University pulled out a 15-13 win.
Wayland fell earlier in the day to the host team, A&M-Kingsville, 25-14, 25-19, 25-20.
Of the loss to Our Lady of the Lake, Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said his Pioneers struggled badly the first two sets then "played like champs" the next two. "The fifth set was a knock-down, drag-out."
Wayland owned a four-point lead but let OLLU back in it through a pair of serving errors.
"It's extremely disappointing," Giacomazzi said of the loss.
Still, he added, the Pioneers did some good things, including
Tania Gomez serving for 11 straight points in the third set. The freshman from El Paso ended with six kills and 13 digs. Veteran
Natasha Giacomazzi recorded her third double-double in as many outings with 31 assists and 16 digs. Freshman
Shahala Hawkins of Denver City tallied 12 kills, a .324 hitting percentage and was part of three blocks. Freshman
Abby Welch of Scottsdale, Ariz., had eight kills in 27 attempts. Also, the Pioneers ended with 109 digs, which Coach Giacomazzi called "great."
In their first match of the day, the Pioneers squared off against the host team, Kingsville. Despite losing in three sets, 25-14, 25-19, 25-20, Giacomazzi said he was encouraged by his team's play.
"I don't like that we lost, but I was pleased with some of the things we did," the coach said.
The Pioneers were ahead in the third game before Kingsville rallied late to take the match in three.
Gomez and
Chelsey Driskill led Wayland with nine kills apiece, while
Natasha Giacomazzi contributed 20 assists and a team-high 25 digs.
The Pioneers will get a chance to avenge Saturday's late loss to Our Lady of the Lake in a match set for 11 a.m. Sunday at OLLU in San Antonio. Immediately after that match, the Pioneers will scrimmage Laredo Community College before heading home. Wayland then is entered in a tournament at Colorado State-Pueblo next weekend. The team plays its home and Sooner Athletic Conference opener on Sept. 18 against Lubbock Christian University.
