Nov. 3, 2006

Box Score

LAWTON, Okla. - Senior outside hitter Rachel Altman and sophomore middle blocker Kelly Culley each posted a game-high 15 kills to lead the No. 18 West Texas A&M volleyball team to its 24th consecutive victory on Friday evening as the Lady Buffs defeated Tarleton State in three straight games (30-27, 30-14 and 20-23) in a semifinal contest at the Lone Star Conference Tournament.

With the victory, West Texas A&M moves on to Saturday's LSC Tournament Championship match where the team will face the winner of Friday night's Texas Woman's-Cameron contest. The championship is set for a 7 p.m. first serve from the campus of Cameron University. The Lady Buffs also improve their overall record this season to 29-3 with the win, while TSU falls to 13-14 on the year.

The match opened with an emotional and hard-fought first stanza, which the Lady Buffs took by the score 30-28 for the early advantage. Altman paced the squad with eight kills as WTAMU rallied to score 10 of the game's final 14 points to secure the game.

In the second game, the Lady Buff offense came alive with a .351 hitting percentage, taking a commanding two games to none lead with a 30-14 victory. Senior outside hitter Jessica Scherr aided the cause with five kills, while Culley added three kills and three block assists in the period. Culley provided six kills in the match's final stanza as WTAMU secured the win with a 30-23 victory.

For the match, Culley finished with 15 kills on 24 attempts with only one error for an outstanding .583 hitting percentage, while senior setter Libby Garza continued to impress, tossing up a game-high 44 assists in the win.

Scherr finished with her team-leading 15th double-double of the season, piling up 12 kills and tying libero Sara Contreras for the team lead in digs with 18.