HOUSTON – Chelsea Grant was a monster on the outside in a five-set thriller that ended with a 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12) win for the Lamar University volleyball squad over Houston Baptist at Sharp Gym Saturday afternoon in Southland Conference action.
 
"I am so proud of this team," said head coach Alan Edwards. "We had a lot of positives today and still some things to work on. We were able to wipe the slate clean after non-conference."
 
As would be expected for a match tied at 2-2, the fifth set was a tight battle. Neither team could put a big rally together until the Huskies (11-8, 2-1 Southland Conference) ran off three-straight to take a 9-8 deficit and make it 11-9. The Cardinals (2-13, 2-1) cut it to 11-10 when Chelsea Grant – who led LU with 22 kills – powered one to the ground.
 
Bailey Banks answered with a kill that made it 12-10, but a kill from freshman Dannisha House and block from Ivette Dim and Amy Hollowell tied the game at 12. Melissa Fuchs put the Huskies up 13-12, but Hollowell jump-started a three-point rally ended the match with a kill. LU's final two points came on an error from HBU and a kill from Tomar Thomas.
 
For the first time this year, the Cardinals were able to stake a claim to the first set of the match. It was a slow start for Big Red, who fell down 9-4, and soon after the Huskies jumped up 13-10. The Cardinals recorded a three-point run that tied it up. Back-to-back kills from Murielle Hlavac and Hollowell made it 13-12 and Dannisha House tied it with a service ace.
 
Houston Baptist eventually worked a lead back to 20-17, but another three-point run got LU back into it. Grant made it 20-18 and Haley Morton's two aces made it 20-20. From there, LU closed on a 5-2 run that ended the set.
 
"Getting out of the gate fast was huge for us. It a definite positive that has to make us feel good," said Edwards.
 
The Cardinals fell in each the second and third sets, despite having a 6-1 lead in the third.
 
"We jumped out early in the third too, but couldn't keep it," said Edwards. "That is something we'll address this week. It's a lot easier working on being up and keeping it over trying to catch up. It's better that we can do it after a five-set win over a four-set loss."
 
In the fourth, HBU jumped up 3-0 early, but the Cardinals were able to get back into it with a 4-4 tie. The Huskies continued to keep LU from the lead with four ties, but once it was able to gain a 10-9 lead, Lamar never looked back.
 
Grant's kill number was a career-high, and was three more than her previous best in a five-set match. In 44 attempts, she only made seven errors for a .341 attack percentage mark.  The senior contributed to the match with five blocks, a dig and a set.
 
"Chelsea was an individual example of what the team did today," said Edwards. "She learned as she went, managed situations and handled out of ball systems well. She was very patient and waited for good swings."
 
House has continued her dominant performance in league play. With a team-high nine blocks Saturday, she upped her block total to 24 in the last three matches (1.7 per set). Offensively, she finished with seven kills and no errors on 14 attacks.
 
Hollowell fell just short of her second double-double in three matches with nine kills and 12 digs. She was one of four Cardinals with 10 or more digs, a first this season. Dim and Hlavac each added eight kills to the match.
 
"Hollowell put up some big numbers for us today," said Edwards.
 
Carlyn Stella led the way with 18 digs in the contest and was followed by libero Lauren Stahlman (16), Haley Morton (14) and Hollowell. Stella's 18 digs was one short of her career-high, notched at Southeastern Louisiana in the SLC opener.
 
With her 14 digs, Morton registered her sixth-career, first this season, double-double on 49 assists.
 
As a team, Lamar hit for a .210 hitting percentage and had 60 kills in the second-straight contest. It fell just short of Edwards' 17.0 points earned per set mark, hitting 82 total points for 16.4 a game.
 
It set a season high in digs and was one block short from tying the season best mark.
 
"Digs is an area that we talk and talk and talk about," said Edwards. "We still have to get better in that area, but today was huge improvement.
 
"Our middles did well too. It is a little different for us to be a team not run through the middle," he said. "When we get the young players going, we'll be a lot more balanced."
 
Banks led the match with 27 kills, followed by Fuchs with 15 and Vann at 12.
 
 The home opener for the Cardinals is slated to be played at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Central Arkansas at McDonald Gym. Following that match, Northwestern State pays visit for a Saturday afternoon start time.