COMMERCE, Texas - Northwestern State could not stop the Texas A&M-Commerce onslaught in a 3-0 road loss Tuesday evening.
 
Northwestern State (7-14, 2-10) hung with the Lions (9-15, 6-6) in all three sets, but couldn't quite find the big points to grab a set (25-23, 25-22, 25-21).
 
Commerce had an astounding hit percentage of .365, including a .500 in the final set with most of the kills coming from the Lions' Tuufuli. The Lions kept the Demons at bay throughout the whole game, blocking seven and out-killing them 45 to 43.
 
The Demons kept things close in the first, with Teresa Garza connecting on three of the first five kills, giving them a tie match at six. With back-to-back aces from Hunter MacFarland and kills from Garza and Reaghan Thompson, the Demons led 16-13 late in the first. A Commerce 4-0 run after being down 23-21 clinched the first set 25-23 for the homestanding Lions.
 
The Demons had 14 kills with just three attack errors in the first while also putting up four aces but were unable to match the Lions' 16-kill first set.
 
After kills from Olivia Bush, Garza, and Thompson, Commerce went on a run to lead 10-4 after the Demons took the lead early. The Demons climbed back into it with back-to-back runs of their own to cut the deficit to 16-13 midway through the second. But the Lions tamed the Demons in the second set behind their .343 hit percentage.
 
Both teams fought back-and-forth in the third set with Commerce taking an early lead 10-7. Kills from Garza and Deja Benjamin, both assisted by Gabby Seeds, kept the Demons in it, trailing just 12-10. A service error from Garza and an attack error from Samaya Wesson grew the lead for the Lions to 16-12. Commerce put the Demons away after an insane .500 hit percentage in the third and final set.
 
"We're just standing in our way right now making either costly mistakes at the end of Sets, giving up a lead early, or ending our own scoring runs.," head coach Sean Kiracofe says. "If you take just a couple of unforced errors out of the mix any of these Sets could have gone our way."
 
Northwestern State aims to bounce back at home against UIW on Thursday.