JAMIE FINK
@JK_Fink

While the Island University hosted Dig Pink on Thursday night to battle breast cancer, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders and Stephen F. Austin Lady Jacks battled on the court for sole control of the Southland Conference.

 
The Islanders and Lady Jacks both entered the match tied atop the Southland Conference volleyball rankings with perfect 4-0 records. However, the Islanders emerged victorious in a 25-20, 27-25, 26-24 sweep for their 21-consecutive regular season conference win.

 
“Dig Pink is our favorite game of the year,” said Islanders libero Kate Klepetka. “We were stoked that it was SFA because it just gives you that extra driving force because we do not lose Dig Pink games.”

 
The Islanders upperclassmen took control of the match for A&M-Corpus Christi leading the Islanders to their fifth consecutive sweep to open conference play. Morgan Carlson and Brittany Gilpin led the way for the Islanders combining for 22 kills, 11 kills respectively.

 
Under the control of first-year head coach Steve Greene, the Islanders have used a fast-paced and well-balanced attack to wear out opponents defensively. During Thursday’s match, six different Islanders recorded five kills or more to keep the Lady Jacks on their toes.

 
“Steve is such an incredible coach. The way he runs our offense is extremely fast and so far no one in conference has been unable to stop us,” said Islanders middle blocker Madeline Doud. “It puts a lot of pressure on our offense, but I think Steve has been able to coach us in a way that we’ve been able to handle that beautifully.”

 
Stephen F. Austin pushed the Islanders into some of the tightest sets they have faced this season. The Lady Jacks forced the Islanders over the 25-point barrier in both of the final two sets, but eventually lost both sets.

 
“SFA is probably one of the best hitting teams that we’ve had so far in our conference so of course we are not going to see as many blocks,” Doud said. “I think we did a really good job of setting it up so that our defense could play around us.”

 
The Islanders saw big play out of sophomore middle blocker Madi Fitzsimmons who helped maintain the net by adding eight kills and four blocks.

 
In the final set, A&M-Corpus Christi used a late rally, after head coach Steve Greene received a yellow card following a disagreement with the lead official. The Islanders rallied from a 20-18 deficit to win the final set 26-24 on a kill from Doud, her ninth of the night.
The Islanders finished the night as one of the few teams still undefeated in conference play in the country.

 
A&M-Corpus Christi returns home to the Dugan Wellness Center for a doubleheader facing off with Houston Baptist University on Oct. 13, followed by a bout with Lamar on Saturday, Oct. 15 starting at 1 p.m.