Aggies take 1st in Lone Star Conference

It was a match for the ages.

In an epic battle that featured the two premier volleyball programs in the Lone Star Conference, the Cameron Aggies (14-1, 4-0 LSC) walked away with a four-game victory (20-30, 30-25, 30-28, 30-24) over powerhouse University of Central Oklahoma (11-6, 3-1 LSC) in front of a packed Aggie Gymnasium. Both teams entered the contest undefeated in conference play and tied for first place.

After being dominated by the Bronchos in the first game, the Aggies regrouped to take the next three. Cameron head coach Dominic Yoder was elated by his team’s performance, and attributed the turnaround to senior outside hitter Ashley Rikard.

“Rikard carried us through games two and three. We have worked to get her more consistent, and she was simply outstanding in the final three games,” said Yoder. Rikard finished the match with a team-high  of 18 kills on 48 total attacks.

Senior setter Vicki Ibarra was also impressive in the match, coming up with three key blocks that stole the momentum from UCO. She finished the match with 51 assists and is now an amazing 56 assists away from setting the all-time Cameron record.

The match was billed as a showdown of epic proportions and served as a huge step for Coach Yoder’s squad. “The victory was huge because it gives us more confidence as a team and will help a lot when we go up to their place,” said Yoder. “It is going to be a battle, a war,” he added, referring to the October 17th rematch in Edmond, which will be webcast live through the UCO and Cameron Athletics websites (goaggies.cameron.edu).

Senior middle hitter Taran Turner was also huge in the contest, coming up with important kills that helped the Aggies maintain their lead. Turner was awarded LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors yesterday after her performance in last week’s matches.

The more than three hundred fans in attendance came for a show and were clearly not disappointed. Each member of the Aggie squad played an important role in the victory and now have a first-place lead to show for it.

“The team now knows what it takes to be a championship team,” said Yoder.

The Aggies go on the road this Thursday to take on the Lions of Texas A&M - Commerce (6-12, 2-2 LSC) who have lost three of their last four matches.