DENTON, TX – The East Central University volleyball team completed the first day of competition at the Denton Volleyfest, falling to Fort Hays State University before defeating Missouri Southern and earning their first win of the 2022 season.
 
"We are slowly getting the kinks out and trying different things," Head Coach Cheri Lindsay said. "It was nice to see them play together as a team and enjoy each other."
 
Match 1 | ECU vs. Fort Hays State University
ECU fell to FHSU in a three-set sweep (25-20, 25-19, 25-22) in their opening matchup on Friday.
 
The Tigers held a 19-17 lead in the first set, but a 7-0 run from the black and gold Tigers allowed them to take control and close out the set. Fort Hays State put away the second set with a few 3-0 runs and a 5-0 run to make it a 2-0 lead. ECU managed to battle back and cut the lead to  23-22 before a final kill and service ace from FHSU completed the sweep.
 
Emma Strickland and newcomer Seran Eran each tallied 6 kills in the match while Ashleigh Miller was close behind with 5. Alejandra Delgado added 17 digs in the back row and Aloni Jordan recorded two blocks of her own.
 
Match 2 | ECU vs. Missouri Southern State University
After an 0-6 start to the 2022 season, the Tigers outlasted the Lions (25-22, 18-25, 25-11, 24-26, 15-10) in a five-set thriller. This is the first five-set match ECU has won this season.
 
MSSU led 8-2 in the first set, but ECU managed to tie it up 22-22 before Missouri Southern State made three crucial errors to seal set one in favor of East Central. The Lions answered back in set two with a commanding lead of 16-5 and never looked back. ECU broke the 1-1 tie in set three with a dominant score of 25-11, but MSSU didn't give up the fight and took set four 26-24. In the decisive fifth-set, the Tigers held the Lions 10-8 before extending the lead to 14-10 and securing the victory with a final kill.

Emma Strickland and Leah Lawson both earned their first double-doubles of the season. Strickland dominated on offense with an impressive 19 kills and 15 digs in the match while Lawson had a strong performance on the court dishing out 22 assists and 14 digs. Lawson also added 6 kills of her own. Alejandra Delgado led the defense with 20 digs and Anmarie Dominick tallied 10 digs.
 
The East Central University volleyball team will be back in action tomorrow Saturday, Sept. 3 when they take on Eastern New Mexico University at 10 a.m. and then Midwestern State University Texas at 4 p.m.