BELTON, Texas – Sarah Ghormley recorded two double-doubles and Georgia Quiroz totaled 68 assists on the day, and the Concordia Texas volleyball team advanced to the American Southwest Conference Tournament semifinals after a 3-0 sweep of East Texas Baptist in the quarterfinals, but ultimately fell to UT Dallas 3-2 in the semifinals on Friday at Mayborn Campus Center in Belton, Texas.
 
Sarah Ghormley led the attack for the Tornados in game one, registering a double-double with 14 kills to go along with 14 digs on the defensive side, and Georgia Quiroz tallied 32 assists and eight digs on the game.
 
The Tornados began the first set in a back-and-forth battle with the Tigers, trading points on the way to a 10-10 tie to start. Nicole Deering led the way with four kills during this initial stretch. Concordia Texas dominated the remainder of the set, ending things with a 15-3 run to take the first set 25-13.
 
The Tornados were in control the entire set, beginning with a 14-6 opening run led by three kills from Ghormley. Concordia Texas did not look back, and a kill from Quiroz capped off a 25-18 win in set two to put CTX ahead 2-0.
 
In the third set, four early kills from Ghormley led CTX to an early 10-7 advantage. The Tigers fought back, tying the set at 17-17, but a 7-3 run secured the third set and the 3-0 sweep for Concordia Texas in the quarterfinal match.
 
Next, the Tornados prepared for the ASC Tournament semifinals and a matchup against the No. 1 seed in the East Division in UT Dallas. Concordia Texas battled and took the match to a decisive fifth set, where they ultimately fell 15-9. Ghormley recorded her second double-double of the day, picking up 17 kills and 25 digs, and Quiroz added a double-double as well with 36 assists and 16 digs.
 
In the first set, the Comets jumped out to 6-2 lead, but the Tornados clawed back into it and a kill from Kylexus Block evened the score at 11-11. It was a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way, but CTX came up short and dropped set one 25-23.
 
The Tornados opened the second set on a tear, jumping out to a 9-3 lead, but a resurgence from UTD brought the score back to a 10-10 tie. Concordia Texas kept at it, and Block's third kill of the set put an exclamation point on a 25-23 Tornados' win in set two, evening the score at 1-1.
 
UT Dallas and Concordia Texas traded leads throughout the third set, but CTX closed out the set with a 7-1 run down the stretch led by two kills from Shyler Mayfield secured the third set 25-21. Heading into the fourth set, the Tornados led the match 2-1.
 
In the fourth set, Ghormley led the way for the Tornados with two kills, but CTX came out on the wrong end of a 25-12 score and found themselves facing a decisive fifth set.
 
The Tornados jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the final set behind three early kills from Ghormley, but the Comets battled back to take a 9-8 lead thanks to a service ace. UT Dallas closed out the set with a 5-0 run, and CTX fell 15-9, losing the match in five sets.
 
Block ended the match with 10 kills to go along with seven blocks, and Mayfield registered nine blocks.
 
Quiroz capped off an illustrious career with the Tornados by surpassing the 1,000 career digs mark in the quarterfinal win, becoming the first player in program history to record 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs.
 
Concordia Texas ends the season with a 9-3 record, reaching the ASC semifinals for the fourth straight year despite entering the tournament without multiple players.
 
The team says goodbye to its four seniors in Quiroz, Marjani Myles, Rylee Davis, and Ally Combs, but returns next season with a roster loaded with talent and experience poised for another great season.