The SMU volleyball team competed in the TCU Nike Invitational Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The Mustangs entered the tournament with a record of 1-2 and left 2-4, after losses to TCU and Army.
In the opening match Friday night against TCU sophomore Caroline Young led SMU with 12 kills.
TCU led early in the first set and the Mustangs continued to fight, but the team was not able to get within two points of the Horned Frogs.
SMU came out strong in the second set scoring three points immediately, but the early lead was not enough for the victory.The Mustangs never took the lead in the final set with an end score of 25-15.
Young had an attack percentage of .348 along with Carla Armstrong’s .357 percentage and nine kills.
During the game the Mustangs took on Army in four sets, falling short of the victory.
With a .444 hitting percentage, Young led the Mustangs to a 25-19 win in the first set.
Olivia Bailey, a senior transfer, had 39 assists and 14 digs, while Young hit a career-high 23 kills and 18 digs, scoring 26.5 of the Mustangs’ 60 points.
SMU’s seven blocks could not compete with Army’s 12 and the Black Knights took the victory.
“After that game we were all frustrated, but [we] refocused and knew we needed to prove something and take care of Corpus Christi in the last match,” Bailey said.
SMU won its final match of the tournament Saturday against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Once again Young led the Mustangs, but this time to a victory in three sets. She had 18 kills and three aces.
“As a team we didn’t play our best, but by the third game we pulled it together and began to play better both individually and as a team,” Young said.
In the first set Young had a kill and a pair of aces putting the Mustangs ahead.
Young scored five kills and three aces. The Texas native scored five kills again in the second set as the Mustangs took the win.
In the third set the Islanders cut it close following behind the Mustangs by one, but between Young’s kills and Julianne Scheidler’s ace, the Mustangs took the victory.
Young was named to the All-Tournament team after 23 kills and 18 digs against Army on Saturday.
The Mustangs will be home all weekend for the SMU Doubletree Invitational in Moody Coliseum.
“We’re excited to play again this weekend and show everyone how good our team really is,” Young said.
The team will take on Wichita State for the home opener this Thursday at 7 p.m.
SMU will also take on Texas State on Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Auburn on Sept. 8 at 2:30 p.m.
