LAKE CHARLES—The McNeese volleyball team put up a good fight Saturday in a 3-1 Southland Conference loss to league leading Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (22-4, 10-0 SLC) Saturday. The four set match is only ninth time the Islanders have been pushed to more than three sets all season.
 
Malina Sanchez led the Cowgirls with another double-double for her 11th of the season with 11 kills and 12 digs.  Freshman Shanna Spree picked up a career high 10 kills while setter Kelly Graham also picked up a double-double, giving her 12 on the year with 38 assists and 10 digs. Libero Bridget Justis tied her career high with 29 digs. Also recording double figure digs was Hailee Showers with 15.
 
McNeese (10-14, 5-4 SLC) jumped out to a 1-0 match lead by picking up a 25-21 first set win. The Islanders evened the match at one set apiece with a 25-14 second set win.
 
Following the break, Texas A&M-CC continued its consistent play to take a 25-17 third set win and a 2-1 overall match lead. The Islanders jumped out to an 8-3 lead then extended it to 16-6. The Cowgirls scored eight of the next nine points to cut the AMCC lead to 17-15. McNeese would struggle the rest of the set and scored only two more points.
 
The fourth set was close and consisted of 11 ties. With the set tied at 16 all, AMCC's Shayla Maldonado served for five straight points before a kill by Monica Hudgins broke her serve as the Cowgirls trailed 21-17. The Islanders went on to win four of the next seven points to take the fourth set 25-20 and the overall match.
 
Texas A&M-CC finished the match with three players recording double figure kills and four player with double figure digs. Ivy Baresh led the Islanders with 18 kills and was joined by Kelsee Felux and Madeleine Doud with 11 and 10, respectively.
 
Libero Kate Klepetka led all players with 34 digs. Kristyn Nicholson added 14 and Maldonado and Baresh both had 12 apiece.