THE RUNDOWN
After three tight sets to start the match, the Lady Patriots took down Lubbock Christian 3-1 on Friday night in Lubbock. Freshman Karly Wells led the DBU offensive charge for the first time this season, totaling a season-high 23 kills.
 
LCU (9-4, 1-2) was in the driver's seat in the match's opening stages, but DBU (10-4, 3-0) followed closely, trailing by no more than five. Down 15-20, three consecutive kills by Karly Wells started a late charge for the Lady Patriots, narrowing the gap to 18-20, but the Lady Chaps held on for a 25-20 first-set win.
 
DBU jumped to an early lead in the second, going up 9-6 and sustaining the advantage through 17-13, but LCU moved in front with a 5-0 run. The two foes traded the subsequent six rallies, but the Lady Patriots caught fire, swiping five of the last six points to even the set count at one apiece.
 
Frame three was a brawl. LCU took a 2-0 lead, but neither team moved ahead by more than two points again until DBU earned a three-point edge, 18-15. The Lady Chaps fought back to level the score at 21 and 22, and the Lady Patriots put themselves in a position to win the set, up 24-22. The pendulum swung in favor of LCU, who forced a deuce, but DBU regained its momentum to walk into set four with a chance to take the match.
 
Another close start, 10-10, was broken up by the Lady Patriots 10-2 stint to create distance from their opponents. The Lady Chaps slowed the roll of DBU for a moment, but Delaney Fuller delivered three of the last five points for the Lady Patriots to finish the match in four sets.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Karly Wells led DBU in kills (23) for the first time this season. She also tallied season-highs in points (23.5), attack attempts (61), and digs (6).
- Delaney Fuller earned her fourth double-double of the year with 17 kills and 11 digs.
- After being out of the lineup for the first four weeks of the season, senior Abby Phillips made her season debut in the second set. She finished the night against LCU with one kill on five attempts, plus a dig and a block assist. It was her first appearance since last year's NCAA South Central Regional quarterfinal versus Colorado Mesa on November 17.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5 - Price Reeves accumulated five total blocks, her most of the year.
10 - The Lady Patriots' 10 blocks mark the third time they have reached double-figures in total blocks this year.
16 - Lexi Lambert finished the night with a season-high 16 digs.
 
HEAD COACH JORDAN FISH ON THE WIN AND FRESHMAN OUTSIDE HITTER KARLY WELLS
"Lubbock is a solid team. They played tough, and I want to give them credit, as they played really well. I am proud of our team getting a good win on a tough road trip. I am especially proud of Karly Wells. She has been dominating and does not look like a freshman on the court. It has been awesome to see. She's just getting started."
 
UP NEXT
DBU runs out to Portales, New Mexico, for a duel with Eastern New Mexico tomorrow afternoon. The match is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT. Read Full Article