St. Edward’s University women’s volleyball team continued its spring season on Saturday at the Texas State Spring Tournament in San Marcos, TX. The Hilltoppers squared off against University of the Incarnate Word and East Texas A&M University.
SEU vs. Incarnate Word
In their first match, St. Edward’s took on the Incarnate Word Cardinals of the Sun Belt Conference. The Cardinals went 17-11 in 2024. The first set was back-and-forth in the early goings — two service errors by the Cardinals allowed the Hillttoppers to take a 5-4 lead. The Cardinals took control of the first set and cruised to a 25-19 win.
In the second set, the Hilltoppers dialed in. St. Edward’s played nearly the entire set in front. Their largest lead was 15-7.
“I think the serve and pass game allowed us to get going in the second set,” St. Edward’s head coach Jeremy Garcia said. “We’ve got a couple of kids that can go back and get on a run. If we can put pressure on other guys, then we’re going to score a lot of points.”
The Cardinals did not go away lightly, utilizing a 9-2 run to get back into the set. They cut it to 17-16 before Addy Badley with a couple of key swings and blocks to halt Incarnate Word’s momentum. The Hilltoppers squeezed out a 25-20 victory in the second set.
“We’re moving Addy around to a couple of different positions,” Garcia said. “We know that we can rely on her to score a lot of points, offensively and defensively, so the more that we can have her on the court, the better we are going to be able to split with that.”
Due to time constraints, the Cardinals and Hilltoppers weren’t able to finish the third set. The Hilltoppers played from behind the entire set and it was called 17-9 in favor of the Cardinals.
SEU vs. East Texas A&M
St. Edward’s and the East Texas A&M Lions (formerly Texas A&M University – Commerce) met for the first time since the Lions moved up to Division I after the 2021-2022 school year.
East Texas A&M maximized its size advantage up front to control the pace in the first set. St. Edward’s countered with swift rotations and an aggressive attack. The Hilltoppers were flying around the court, and nothing was dropping without a body diving on the floor.
The team played with freedom and energy, constantly searching for the big swing or an ace serve. However, the Hilltoppers were swept; falling 25-15, 25-18 and 20-16.
A small sample size nonetheless, but a spirited effort against stiff competition sparks hope and optimism heading into Coach Garcia’s first season on the Hilltop.
