ADA, Okla. – The East Central University volleyball team faced off against Cameron University for the third time this season. After falling short in two previous five-set battles, the Tigers flipped the script on Tuesday night, fending off a late surge from the Aggies to claim a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the Kerr Activities Center.
 
"Tonight was about resilience," ECU Head Coach Danielle Essix said. "We've talked a lot about learning from our losses and finding ways to respond, and this team did that. We've been in this exact situation against Cameron before and came up short, but this time we showed real growth. Mentally, it was about trusting ourselves and the ability to stay calm, composed, and believing in our will to finish."
 
"Even after dropping sets three and four, they stayed connected and finished with confidence. I'm proud of how we continue to grow together."
 
The match started strong for ECU, with the Tigers racing out to early leads in both the first (12-4) and second sets (13-8). Although Cameron clawed back late in each frame, a clutch kill from Kensington White in set one and another from Faiana Halatoa in set two sealed both sets in ECU's favor and gave them a 2-0 match advantage.
 
Looking to close the match in three, the Tigers stumbled in the third set as miscues allowed the Aggies to take control early. Cameron capitalized, cruising to a 25-15 win to stay alive.
 
Set four proved to be the most intense of the night, filled with momentum shifts and scoring runs from both sides. ECU trailed 23-20 late but fought back to 24-23 before Cameron closed it out with a final kill to push the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
The Tigers refused to back down in the fifth as they came out firing with a dominant 5-0 run, fueled by aggressive serving from Mia Little, including two aces. Though the Aggies cut the deficit to 10-8, ECU remained composed and finished strong, winning five of the final seven points to take the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.
 
It was a career night for several Tigers in the stat-filled victory. Peyton Spahn led the offense with 15 kills, while Kensington White and Faiana Halatoa added 13 kills each. White's performance marked a career high for the freshman, and Halatoa recorded a double-double with 17 digs. Karielys Maldonado also turned in a breakout performance, tallying a career-high 12 kills and hitting a team-best .500.
 
Emily Pena directed the offense, notching a career-high 50 assists and adding 10 digs for a double-double of her own. Valentinja Tijerina anchored the defense with a match-high 21 digs.
 
With the non-conference win in the books, ECU now shifts focus back to GAC play. The Tigers will host Ouachita Baptist University on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m., followed by a matchup against Henderson State University on Friday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m., both at the Kerr Activities Center.