BOX SCORE

INTERVIEWS WITH STACY MANSHIP AND APRIL BIRDSONG ISAACS

Austin, Texas – Stacy Manship posted her second career double-double in leading the Concordia University Texas volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Howard Payne in a pivotal American Southwest Conference West Division match on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at the CTX Field House. Set scores were 25-19, 17-25, 25-13 and 25-18, as the Tornados and Yellow Jackets ended the evening tied for third place in the league standings for what would be the final playoff spot.

The first set was a seesaw battle with nine ties and seven lead changes. Howard Payne built up a 7-3 advantage on a kill by Taylor Jordan before the hosts hung around and started to rally. Samantha Ladewig set up Heather Leyva and Manship for consecutive kills, forcing the Yellow Jackets to call a timeout with the Tornados leading by a 16-14 score. Howard Payne went ahead 18-17 on a combined block from Hannah Hicks, but a kill by Emma Clifford followed by an ace from Zoë Allen put the Tornados ahead for good until a Clifford kill off a feed from Allen gave them the 25-19 set win.

The second set was also competitive as the teams stayed within three points of each other most of the way. Kills by Manship and Clifford put Concordia on top early, 7-4, and a kill by Leyva made it 15-12. The Yellow Jackets, however, scored 10 straight points with Jessica Guerra serving to take control. Taylor Jordan had three kills during the stretch that kept the visitors ahead for good en route to winning the set by a 25-17 score on a service ace by Shelby Bridges.

Concordia came out of the locker room on fire and burst out to a 4-1 lead courtesy of two aces and one kill by Shelbi Chipman in the early going. After a Hannah Hicks kill made it 13-11, the Tornados rattled off seven unanswered to jump ahead 18-11 and stayed in control the rest of the way by scoring seven of the last nine in the set. A ball handling error by Allyson Reed gave the hosts the easy 25-13 set win.

The Tornados carried the momentum they gained in the third set into the fourth and led from wire to wire. Consecutive kills by Manship and Bianca Martinez that were set up by Alissa Johnson gave the Tornados a commanding 9-3 advantage, forcing the Yellow Jackets to call the timeout. Howard Payne came within two on two occasions 12-10, but Concordia held off all attempted rallies. The Tornados closed out the set and the match on a kill by Suzy Parker that was followed by two Howard Payne attacking errors.

Manship had a career night with 19 kills on .390 hitting to go along with 11 digs and a service ace to lead the Tornados. Ladewig compiled 21 assists and six digs, while Johnson finished with 16 digs, four assists and three service aces. Allen posted six service aces, including five in one set, along with six digs and five assists.

Howard Payne (9-10, ASC 4-5) was led by Jordan's 10-kill, seven-dig performance. Guerra and Allyson Reed finished with 15 and 13 assists, respectively, while Shelby Bridges added 22 digs.

Concordia (9-11, ASC 4-5) will travel to Texas-Dallas for another Dig Pink Crossover Challenge on Oct. 5-6. The Tornados will first face the host Comets on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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Concordia def. Howard Payne, 3-1 (25-19, 17-25, 25-13, 25-18)