HOUSTON, TX – The University of St. Thomas volleyball team picked up another key conference win on their home court, defeating Hendrix College 3-1 on day two of the SCAC Crossover Tournament inside the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center. With the victory, the Celts improve to 14-2 and 4-1 in conference.
The Celts came out firing in the first set, taking early control and jumping ahead 15-6. Behind a powerful attacks with kills from Ariana Willis, Tasmine Maxwell, and Alexis Bodunrin, UST maintained its momentum and never looked back. Dominating on both sides of the net, the Celts closed out the set 25-11 to open the match strong.
In the second set, Hendrix responded with resilience. The two teams battled back and forth early, with the score tied at 8-8. A kill from Maxwell gave UST a slight edge at 14-11, but the Warriors continued to push, tying the match again at 15. The Celts attempted to pull away with a 19-15 lead, yet Hendrix answered once more, leveling the score at 20-20. A gritty rally from UST saw them reclaim the lead 23-21, but Hendrix fought back to take the set 26-24 and even the match.
The third set mirrored the intensity of the second but swung heavily in UST's favor. An error by Hendrix allowed the Celts to pull ahead 11-10, and back-to-back kills from Maxwell stretched the lead to 16-14. UST began to separate thanks to key plays from Davis and Willis, building a 22-15 advantage. With momentum fully on their side, the Celts sealed the set 25-16 to move ahead 2-1 in the match.
The fourth and final set was another hard-fought battle, as both teams traded points and shared the lead up to 10-10. The back-and-forth continued until a series of Hendrix errors and clutch kills from Willis and Haydari sparked a UST run. The Celts capitalized on their momentum, pulling away late to finish the set 25-18.
The Celts saw standout performances across the board. Alexis Bodunrin led the offensive attack with 20 kills, while Tasmine Maxwell added 10 and Jazilyn Davis chipped in 9. Carly Lange was steady from the service line with three aces, while Haydari and Maxwell anchored the defense at the net with five and four blocks, respectively. Setting duties were shared between Jada Stallworth and Mia Medina, who recorded 24 and 22 assists. Lange also paced the defense with 24 digs, followed by Bodunrin with 18 and Stallworth with 11.
Up Next
UST is back in action tomorrow morning as they face Austin College at 9:30 a.m. inside the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center. Stay updated with all things Celts Volleyball at www.ustcelts.com and follow @USTAthletics and @ustwvball on Instagram and X.
