Baird and Haynie lead Utes with eight kills apiece.
Sept. 5, 2008
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The Utes got eight kills apiece from Lori Baird and Kathryn Haynie but the Utah volleyball team could not avoid its first loss of the season against No. 4 Texas, 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-15) Friday at the Pan American Center.
"Texas really played a strong match," head coach Beth Launiere. "They are a big, physical, and talented team. So that coupled with us not playing very well, it was going to be a tough match."
In addition to registering eight kills for Utah (2-1), Haynie tied for match-high honors with eight digs, while setter Stephanie Shardlow coordinated the Ute attack with 19 assists.
On the front line, Emillie Toone came up with a season-high-tying six kills and a team-high-tying three blocks. Cinthia Silva was second on the team with five digs and tied Toone for team-high honors with three blocks.
"We had some good moments where we executed and played everyone well as a team," Launiere said. "But we just needed to be more consistent."
In the first set, the Utes scored the first point of the match and held a 2-1 lead before Texas went on a 7-0 run to take an 8-2 advantage. The Longhorns would never lose the lead again, building as much as a nine-point margin.
Similar to the first set, Utah took the first two points of the second set with kills from Haynie and Toone. But with the score tied at 3-3, Texas managed to take the next three points and extend its lead as the set played out. With Texas leading 7-5, the Longhorns went on a pivotal 5-0 run to build a 12-7 advantage they would never relinquish.
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Texas scored five of the third set's first six points and built its lead to as many as 11 in the match finale. The Utes pieced together a 3-0 run to make the score 17-8, but could not get any closer as the Longhorns quickly answered to put the set and the match out of reach.
The Utes were held to a season-low .096 hitting percentage, while the Longhorns hit .438 for the match. Texas' Destinee Hooker had a match-high 13 kills to go along with a match-high-tying eight digs, as well as three blocks.
"We had spurts of good play tonight. We have three more matches [in the New Mexico State Tournament] to build our consistency. We have to do that to play well. We'll have plenty of time to respond."
Utah faces Florida Gulf Coast at 10 a.m., tomorrow in its second match of the New Mexico State Tournament at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. The Utes' second match of the day, and third of the tournament, will be against Houston tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.
