For the first time since the fall of 2006, the WTAMU Lady Buffs were on the losing side of a NCAA match this weekend, ending their record winning streak at 87 after a five set game.

The Lady Buffs traveled to Tarleton State University on Sept. 17 to take on the TexAnns in front of about 200 fans. The game ended after five sets with scores of 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, and 11-15.

The match had similarities to the game against TSU last season that allowed WT to break the NCAA record at 78 matches, including a five set battle. The similarities continued during the first set as WT topped TSU 25-23.The sets kept fans on the edge of their seat as the teams battled back and forth throughout the sets, battling for the lead with every attack. The Lady Buffs took an early lead in the fifth set with a score of 4-2 before the TexAnns came back, leading to a 15-11 Lady Buffs loss.

The Lady Buffs had a hit percentage of .195, which bettered Tarleton’s .188, but TSU came out on top with blocks, registering 13 versus WT’s eight.

Erin Dougherty and Ashley Davis topped all Lady Buffs with 15 kills each while Lauren Beville registered 19 digs and Lacy Hayes was recorded with a tally of 40 assists.

The loss takes the Lady Buffs’ record to 10-1 on the season with a record of 4-1 in the Lone Star
Conference.

“I have a positive outlook on [the season],” assistant coach Sarah Carthel said. “I think the girls have an enlightened thought process on it and know how hard they are going to have to work when they’re out of town and playing in someone else’s gym. With that being one of our first on-the-road games, I think as long as we learned from the experience, we can get better.”

WT plays at home tonight, Sept. 20, with the first serve set for 7 p.m at The Box.