Above photo by Russell Marwitz/True To The Cru/russellmarwitz.com
SEGUIN, Texas- Texas Lutheran won its 12th match of the season on Wednesday night, handing UMHB its fourth consecutive loss in the process.
The Crusaders remain 3-4 in ASC play, as this was a non-conference duel, but drop to 9-6 overall. TLU is now 12-4.
UMHB has not lost four straight matches since 2015, when the Cru dropped five straight between Sept. 11 and Sept. 18.
How it happened
The Crusaders fell behind early, dropping the first two sets by scores of 25-21, and 25-23. In both sets, UMHB held the lead late, before the Bulldogs overcame it. In the opening set, the Cru held an 18-17 lead before a 5-0 TLU run put the hosts in position to win. The following set saw UMHB lead 23-22, before the Bulldogs scored the final three points and emerged with the win.
With TLU needing just one point for the match victory, the Cru countered in set three. Kills from Kaylie Vasil and Ella Brunson put them up 2-0, and the lead widened to 11-6 minutes later. But TLU stormed back, taking a 15-13 lead after a 4-0 run, only to have UMHB respond by taking back the lead, 18-16. The back-and-forth scoring continued down the stretch in exciting fashion, before UMHB broke a 26-26 tie, mounting a key 3-0 run that closed the set, and gave the Cru the required two-point margin of victory, 28-26.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as In the fourth set TLU took the match, with a 25-16 win. The Bulldogs raced out to a 19-9 advantage behind five kills from Tanyse Moehrig, and while UMHB briefly cut that double-digit deficit to six, TLU extended it once again to 23-13. From there, they held on for the win, as Madison Weisinger came through with the match-sealing kill.
| Box Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| UMHB | 21 | 23 | 28 | 16 | 1 |
| TLU | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 3 |
Notable Numbers
TLU tallied 20 more kills than the Cru, 57-37. The Bulldogs also recorded 16 more assists, with a total of 50, as their offense was exceptional throughout all four sets.
Stats Leaders
Vasil recorded her seventh double-double of the year, with a team-best 12 kills as well as 13 digs. Hannah Frasca was the only other Crusader with double figures in kills (10). Jenci Seahorn led the defense with three blocks, including the first solo block of her collegiate career.
Up Next
UMHB aims to get back in the win column against Sul Ross State on Friday in Alpine. The match is set for 5 p.m. and the Lobos enter the weekend with an overall record of 5-6, and a 2-4 mark in ASC play.
