THE RUNDOWN
DBU (8-3, 6-3) fought hard in a 3-1 loss against Lubbock Christian (11-5, 7-1), rallying multiple times but ultimately coming up short on Friday night at the Burg Center. Halee Van Poppel led the way with a game-high 18 kills, while Audrey Nunes added 17 kills on 39 total attacks (.359) in the four-set battle.

A slew of DBU errors gave the Lady Chaps a quick 9-3 advantage, forcing a DBU timeout. That momentum continued beyond the break, with LCU extending the lead to 11 at 16-5 midway through the opening frame. Down double digits, the Lady Patriots began to methodically chip away at the lead. After going 2-for-1 in consecutive stretches, a 5-0 DBU run reduced the deficit to four at 21-17. Two straight LCU blocks put coach Jordan Fish's squad in the danger zone, but the Lady Patriots upped the intensity and secured seven of the next eight points to complete a remarkable comeback and tie the set at 24. The Lady Chaps then turned to Jenna Lyons, who tacked on the final two kills to give LCU at 26-24 win.

Price Reeves and Audrey Nunes exchanged kills early, giving DBU the 8-5 edge in set two. The Lady Chaps stayed active on both ends, keeping in range and eventually tying the score at 14. A slight momentum shift in the back half of the frame saw LCU hold on to a small lead the rest of the way. A pair of kills from both Reeves and Van Poppel brought DBU to within one at 22-21, but Lubbock Christian clinched three straight points to secure a 2-0 lead.
 
The third set appeared to be headed the same route as the previous set, with the Lady Patriots holding a two-point lead at 14-12. Instead, Audrey Nunes sparked a quick 8-0 run and DBU didn't look back. Sofia Black notched the set's final kill to give the Lady Patriots the 25-17 win.

The early lead belonged to LCU in set four, but DBU pulled even at 8-8 on Reeves' 10th kill of the night. The back-and-forth affair continued, with an Aryn Walton ace once again knotting the score up at 16-16. A 6-2 run from the Lady Chaps put DBU in a hole, but Audrey Nunes chipped in a pair of kills to help bring the Lady Patriots to within one. That was the last offensive output for DBU, however, as LCU registered three straight points to close out the match with a 25-21 decision.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Halee Van Poppel notched a double-double (18 kills, 11 digs) for the ninth time this season.
 - Audrey Nunes' 17 kills are a new career-high. 
 - Four different players recorded a service ace for the Lady Patriots.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.485 – DBU's hitting percentage in set three.
5 – Number of DBU players with a hitting percentage of .333 or higher.
7 – Number of consecutive games Aryn Walton has led the Lady Patriots in assists.

COACH JORDAN FISH ON THE TEAM'S EFFORT
"We have so much grit and passion. We struggled to start that way tonight, but we are determined to come out stronger tomorrow."
 
UP NEXT
DBU has a short turnaround at home, hosting Angelo State at 1:00 pm CT on Saturday, October 16.