THE RUNDOWN
DBU (2-1, 1-1) fell in straight sets versus St. Edward's (6-3, 1-1) in Saturday afternoon's action at the Burg Center in Dallas, Texas. Junior Haley Van Poppel continued to lead the team offensively with 12 kills, but the Hilltoppers bottled up multiple DBU pushes to secure the road conference win.
 
The Lady Patriots jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead, with a 4-0 run capped by Audrey Nunes' kill from the outside. SEU would respond with a 13-2 run, putting DBU in a 16-9 hole. Coach Jordan Fish's squad didn't roll over, instead pouring in six straight to pull within one. The Hilltoppers once again answered with another run, scoring five of the next six points to maintain a lead. A pair of Price Reeves kills brought DBU close at 22-20, but a handful of errors shut the door on a full comeback in the first set.
 
A back and forth start to the second set kept things close through the first half, with neither team holding a lead larger than two. A 4-0 SEU surge proved to be the separation needed, as DBU was forced to call a timeout and never got back to within striking distance. A Van Poppel point temporarily extended the frame at 24-21 before Lourdes Gomez picked up her ninth kill to give the visiting Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The third frame played out as a carbon copy of set two, as neither team ceded a large lead through the front half until a 5-0 SEU stretch shifted the tides. Caroline Swan was the catalyst for the Hilltoppers' offense, chipping in a flurry of kills to create a 22-16 edge. A 6-1 run brought DBU back into contention, but back-to-back kills out of a timeout gave St. Edward's the afternoon sweep.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Leah Palensky led all players with 21 digs.
 - Audrey Nunes has recorded double-digit digs (11) for the second consecutive match.
 - Sofia Black had a team-high .500 hitting percentage.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
34 – Total kills for the Lady Patriots.
31 – Total assists for DBU.
44 – Total attacks by Haley Van Poppel, which led both teams.

JORDAN FISH ON THE TEAM'S FOCUS MOVING FORWARD
"I am proud of how we fought today against a tough St. Edward's team. We know what we need to work on, and I know that this team is willing to put in the work it takes. We are excited to watch film and get back into the gym next week."

UP NEXT
DBU will travel to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to take on UAFS at 6:00 pm on Friday, September 24.