CAMERON, Okla. – In their first five-set match of the season, the East Central University volleyball team came up just short in a back-and-forth contest, falling 3-2 to Cameron University (25-18, 18-25, 26-28, 25-20, 15-17) on Tuesday night. Despite showing fight, the Tigers are still in search of their first win of the 2025 campaign, while the Aggies notched their first victory of the season.
The Tigers came out strong, jumping out to an early 15-5 lead in the opening set and cruising to a dominant 25-18 win. But the Aggies responded in set two, settling into a rhythm while ECU struggled offensively, leading to a 25-18 loss that evened the match at 1-1.
Set three proved to be the turning point. Cameron jumped out to a 24-19 lead, threatening to take control, but ECU showed grit, fending off six straight set points to take a 25-24 lead. Despite the dramatic comeback effort, the Tigers couldn't quite close it out, ultimately falling 28-26.
ECU rebounded in set four. After a tight start, a decisive 7-0 run gave the Tigers a 15-9 edge. Cameron mounted a late push, but key kills from
Jayla Buford and
Paula Ramos sealed the set 25-20, forcing a decisive fifth.
In the final frame, ECU once again started strong, jumping ahead 4-0 and later 7-4. However, a long in-game delay disrupted the Tigers' momentum, and Cameron capitalized to tie the set at 9-9. The Aggies surged ahead 14-10, but ECU refused to go quietly, fighting off three match points to tie things at 14-14. In the end, though, Cameron outlasted the Tigers, claiming the final set 17-15 to escape with the match.
Three Tigers recorded double-digit kills in the match, led by
Faiana Halatoa with 14.
Peyton Spahn notched a career-high 12 kills, while
Jayla Buford added 10. Both Halatoa and Buford posted double-doubles, contributing 11 and 18 digs, respectively.
Briley Marion and
Emma Greenier shared setting duties, finishing with 23 and 12 assists. Defensively,
Macey Goodwin anchored the back row with a team-high 23 digs.
The Tigers will look to regroup and turn their competitive energy into a breakthrough win as ECU will have four opportunities to compete in the Drury Invitational Sep. 12-13.
