The SMU volleyball team fell in both matches to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane this weekend, once in Tulsa and the other at home. However, for three Mustang seniors, Saturday night’s game was their final regular season game at SMU.
The Mustangs dropped three straight matches to the Golden Hurricane on Friday. While SMU was able to keep the sets close, the firepower of the Tulsa offense proved to be the deciding factor in the match.
The first set saw the Golden Hurricane take an early 10-7 lead before they went on a late 8-5 run to take the set, 25-20. The second was close the whole way, with 12 ties and five lead changes before Tulsa won the set, 25-23.
The third set saw much of the same between the two teams, and eventually saw the Mustangs tied with Tulsa at seven. However, the Golden Hurricane went on an 8-1 run to take a commanding lead, 15-8. SMU couldn’t get its offense going and lost the set 25-15.
The team returned to Moody Coliseum on Saturday night to host the Tulsa Golden Hurricane for the final match of the season. SMU and Tulsa had met only two days prior to the match with Tulsa, sweeping the Mustangs in three sets.
The match was also the last for seniors Kendra Kahanek, Carly Bergquist and Adrienne Zielasko. Kahanek was presented with the volleyball from the game against Rice University when she broke SMU’s record for career blocks.
After a ceremony highlighting their careers with the Mustangs, the match began and showed signs of being a close one right away. The Mustangs and Golden Hurricane exchanged points the entire set, keeping the margin to three points. The set saw 13 ties and eight lead changes. SMU seemed poised to take the match but Tulsa’s offense clicked, scoring seven out of the next nine points, and the Mustangs dropped the set, 27-25.
The Mustangs exploded in the second set, grabbing an 18-12 lead late in the match, however, they couldn’t stop a Tulsa rally as the Golden Hurricane offense found its mark again, leading them to win the match, 25-23.
The third set saw the Mustangs take the lead again, as well as capitalizing on Tulsa errors to jump out to an 8-3 lead. The Mustangs hit .212 in the third set and took a 15-7 lead midway and didn’t look back, winning the set 25-16.
The Mustangs fell behind by four points early in the fourth set and faced a 2-7 deficit before rallying to cut the difference to one at 11-10. However, they couldn’t maintain their momentum and Tulsa took the set, 25-21, without relinquishing the lead the entire set.
According to head coach Lisa Seifert, the Mustangs played smothering defense the entire match, registering 88 digs as a team in addition to 20 blocks. However, it was the .117 team hitting percentage that hurt them most.
“If we were able to add in a couple more kills and hit close to .200, the match would have been ours,” Seifert said. “This team’s intensity tonight showed everything about us as a team. We said that we wouldn’t go down easy, and we responded with the best volleyball that I’ve ever seen in a month.”
Sophomore Dana Powell had another Conference USA leading double-double to lead the Mustangs with 17 kills and 23 digs, and freshman Courtney Manning pitched in with seven kills and 12 blocks. Sophomore Kelli Becerra had her 17th double-double of the season with 36 assists and 18 digs, and sophomore Sidney Stewart led the tough defensive effort with a match-high 27 digs.
For Kahanek, this was her final regular season match at SMU. While reflecting on her time with the Mustangs, Kahanek, who closed out her career at Moody with six kills and seven blocks, said, “I’ve been truly blessed to come here. Its made me a better person to be here and be coached by Lisa Seifert, and I’ve had the opportunity to be with the best girls ever.”
Although this weekend will be the last time Kahanek ever plays volleyball competitively, she hopes to pursue a career that will allow her to teach and to coach at the same time.
“These seniors are going to be missed; they have contributed to this program in many ways.” Seifert said.