October 8, 2011
DALLAS – It was a familiar story for the St. Mary’s volleyball team Saturday.
Contenders early against Dallas Baptist, the Rattlers couldn’t sustain their momentum, falling 3-0 in a Heartland Conference battle at The Burg Center.
Much like how they lost to St. Edward’s on Thursday, the Rattlers dropped a tough first set to Dallas Baptist, 25-23, seemingly setting the stage for a lengthy, back-and-forth match.
But just as the Hilltoppers did two days earlier, the Patriots pulled away in three sets, winning 25-17, 25-15.
The victory was a pivotal one for Dallas Baptist, as it moved the Patriots (9-11, 4-3 in Heartland Conference) past the Rattlers (13-7, 3-4) for fourth place in the league standings.
Karlie Ortega (So., San Antonio) led St. Mary’s with 11 kills on the day, while Victorria Martinez (Fr., Arlington, Texas) had a team-high 14 digs. Allie Murray (Jr., San Antonio), the two-time Heartland Conference Setter of the Week, had 30 of the Rattlers’ 34 assists.
Dallas Baptist out-blocked the Rattlers 8-3 and also had just 11 errors compared to the Rattlers’ 23.
Looking to climb back up the Heartland standings, the Rattlers will play at Texas-Permian Basin at 7 p.m. Thursday.