CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – It was a match for the ages on Thursday night for Northwestern State volleyball. Two evenly matched teams locked in a back-and-forth battle the entire night, but one that NSU found a way to win.
 
The Lady Demons used a late run in the crucial third set to take the match lead and outlast Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on the night 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 25-23) to improve to 10-7 (2-1 SLC).
 
"It was a great match on both sides of the net," coach Sean Kiracofe said. "I said between sets this is what you want a conference match to be, this is why you play.   
 
"I'm sure the tough preseason matches and the Houston Baptist match prepared us for this, but to do it on the road in front of a good crowd is another good step in the right direction."
 
 
NSU jumped out to a huge lead early in the first set on the service rotation of Megan Lohmiller. Nine straight points, including six total NSU kills, put the Lady Demons ahead 10-2. TAMUCC climbed back within four later in the set but a strong 4-1 finish gave the Lady Demons the convincing 25-18 opening set win.
 
The second set turned into a mirror copy of the first with the Islanders making a long run early to seize control. TAMUCC led by seven late before a Lady Demon push that fell short, evening the match at one set each.
 
The third set was a display of high-quality volleyball from both sides with neither side wanting to blink first.
 
There were 12 ties in the third set alone until the 21-21 mark of the critical set, when it turned into the Alexis Warren show. The senior pounded three straight kills and then put away the winner with her eighth of the of the set.
 
"Winning the third set really was the difference in the match," Kiracofe said. "Corpus came out and played great in the second after struggling some in that first set, so there is no telling how the match plays out if we don't get that set."
 
After the crucial win of the third, the Lady Demons again found themselves in a fight in the fourth. Tied at 22, a clutch block from Reagan Lee and Skylar Besch and an ace from Cayman Sutton created the two-point edge the Lady Demons needed. Lee put the match away with a kill moments later.
 
Lohmiller recorded her third straight match with 20 or more digs and Warren her first 20 kill match since her sophomore season.
 
The Lady Demons continue Southland play on Saturday afternoon at Incarnate Word.
 
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