SAN ANTONIO – Sarah Ghormley had a near double-double with a season-high 14 kills and eight digs, but the Concordia Texas volleyball team was unable to mount a comeback, dropping both matches in the first day of the Trinity Tournament on Friday.

The Tornados entered the tournament coming off a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Southwestern on Wednesday, but faced Texas Lutheran in the early game of the day, followed by a matchup with Whitworth in the latter match.

Against the Bulldogs, CTX struggled offensively and were unable to find a rhythm above the net, falling in three sets 18-25, 18-25, 18-25.

Ghormley led all Tornados with nine kills, while Kylexus Block had a team-high 12 digs on the defensive side of the ball.

In the opening set, Ghormley pulled CTX within two with a kill to make it 14-12, but TLU reeled off a 7-3 run to widen their advantage and cruised to a first set victory.

In the followed frame, the teams with back and forth as the Tornados took a slight lead at 16-15 after Audri Crawford's kill. Block, meanwhile, had six digs in the set alone but the Bulldogs proved to be too much, winning 10 of the next 12 points.

In the final set, Ghormley nearly forced an additional set on her own, racking up five kills, but CTX was unable to overcome another late TLU run, falling in straight sets.

In the nightcap, Ghormley had another impressive performance, this time against the Pirates, hitting at a .281 mark with 14 kills. It was not enough though as WU held on late and won in three sets, 22-25, 22-25, 21-25.

Freshman Avery Smith shined defensively for the Tornados, recording a career-high 14 digs along with three assists. Meanwhile, Alyssa Legette and Kaitlyn Ruiz each reached double figures in assists with 13 and 12, respectively.

In the opening frame, Ghormley led the offensive attack, registering six kills. Her final kill of the set evened it at 21-all, but the Pirates reeled off a 4-1 run to close out the set and take a 1-0 lead.

In the second set, CTX stayed toe-to-toe with WU, tying it up at 21-21 after a Pirates service error. Despite a Crawford kill late, the Tornados fell short and trailed 2-0 heading into the third.

In the final set, Legette's fifth kill of the match pulled the Tornados within one at 16-15, but the Pirates were there with a response, going on a 7-0 run and put away the match in three sets.

Concordia Texas will have a quick turnaround, wrapping up the Trinity Tournament with another pair of games. They will face Hendrix in the early match at 12:15 p.m., followed by a showdown against tournament host Trinity at 7 p.m. Both matches will be played on the Tigers' campus in San Antonio, Texas.