Susan Lewis spikes the ball in a game against ECU. (Mark Reese/The Daily Campus)

After winning the first set and a close second set, the Mustangs swept East Carolina in the third set 25-13 to take the victory over the Pirates in Moody Coliseum last Friday night.

Junior transfer Maddie Lozano led the Mustangs with 12 kills, three aces and two blocks. Caroline Young recorded 10 kills, hitting a team-high .348.

The Mustangs took an early lead in the second half of the first set. With the score tied 10-10, the Mustangs went on a 4-0 run and Lozano got the kill for a win.

In the second set, the Mustangs fought from behind with only a 25-22 victory over the Pirates. After head coach Lisa Seifert called the Mustangs’ second timeout, the team scored five of the next six points tying the score 20-20.

The Mustangs took the win after Young had kills on four of the final nine points.

“It’s a better feeling entering the locker room ahead two games with just one more match to win,” Lozano said. “We were more in sync technically.”

With the third set tied 5-5 the Mustangs scored the next five points to take the lead, and the Pirates never got within three points the rest of the match.

Lozano scored her 12th kill of the match on SMU’s 21st point. She scored two consecutive aces to give the Mustangs match point.

Courtney Manning and Olivia Bailey combined for a block on match point to take the victory over the Pirates 25-13.

Out of SMU’s 39 kills, Bailey had assists on 36 of them. Manning finished with a career total of 512 blocks, after nine kills and two blocks, trailing shortly behind Kendra Kahanek’s SMU record of 530. Susan Lewis and Bailey each had a team high of six digs.

“It’s crazy to think that I even came close to Kendra,” Manning said. “When I was a freshman I always watched her so I could learn from her.”

Two days later the Mustangs took on Marshall at home, coming up short in the fifth match 15-8.

Manning had a team-high of 15 kills and five blocks, still trailing behind Kahanek’s record, now needing only 14 blocks to break it.

“I’m very happy that I’m leaving a mark on the program, because that’s what I wanted to do when I came to college,” Manning said.

In the first and second match SMU and Marshall split the wins 25-23; SMU taking the first and Marshall the second.

In the third set the Mustangs fought until the end, falling short behind Marshall, 31-29.

Needing a win in the fourth set, the Mustangs came out strong to score the first six points and shortly gaining the lead 20-7, as Young sent the Mustangs to a fifth match with her game-point kill.

Marshall came out with momentum in the fifth match and, with the score tied 7-7, the Thundering Herd scored a kill and two aces putting the team ahead and winning 15-8.

“We are all upset that we lost that match and we are trying new things with the coaches to improve the results of each game,” Manning said.

The Mustangs head to Houston tonight to take on Rice University and University of Houston. They will return to Moody Oct. 12 in its game against Tulane.

“As a team we have to work together and finish what we started with Marshall,” Manning said.