VOLLEYBALL: Rams defeat Paul Quinn in five, earn weekend split

DALLAS – Huston-Tillotson University's volleyball team picked up its first win of the 2024 season Saturday with a thrilling five-set win at Paul Quinn College.
 
Scores of the match were 22-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-22, and 15-12.
 
Chloe Gaytan led the Rams with a career-high 29 kills and nine digs as HT split its weekend doubleheader at Paul Quinn. Kennedy White posted a double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs, while Elaina Spriggins also tallied a double-double with 52 assists and 12 digs to go along with nine kills.
 
The HT defensive effort was led by senior Danelle McCullough and freshman Kaylee Duquee, who tallied 19 digs and 18 digs, respectively. Six different Rams recorded at least 10 digs in Saturday's match, as Aniyah Asberry tallied 15 digs, while Cameron Boyd had 11 digs in the match.
 
Huston-Tillotson jumped out to commanding leads early in the first two sets the Rams won, forcing the Tigers to try and catch up. The Rams scored nine of the first 12 points in set two, the only set decided by more than 10 points.
 
In set four, the Rams again took an early 9-3 lead and led 17-9 midway through the set. With HT leading 21-16, the Tigers ran off four of the next five points to cut the lead to a single point, but the Rams responded with two kills apiece from White and Kadyn Smith to force the fifth set.
 
In the deciding fifth set, the Rams fell behind 5-3 but responded with four straight points. Gaytan knocked down two kills during that stretch and added an assist on a kill by Spriggins. The team's then exchanged points until a 3-0 run gave HT a 13-8 lead, and later a 14-9 lead. Needing five consecutive points, the Tigers closed the gap to 14-12 before an attack error gave HT the match victory.
 
Olivia De La Cruz knocked down eight kills for the Rams and posted a team-high five total blocks (one solo, four assisted). Smith added four kills, while Angelina Munoz chipped in three kills.
 
In Friday's matchup between the two teams, Paul Quinn won in four sets. The Tigers took the first two sets before HT responded by winning 25-22 and then falling in a nail-biter 26-24 fourth set.
 
Gaytan led the Rams with 12 kills in Friday's match.
 
The Rams return to action this weekend when they visit Texas College in Tyler for a pair of matches. The Friday contest between the two teams is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

– HT –