RUSTON, La. -- Freshman Libero McKenzie Johnson sets new school record but Lady Techsters fall to North Texas in straight sets Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center.

North Texas improves to 9-7 overall and 2-2 in C-USA play with the win, while the Lady Techsters fall to 6-12 on the year and 0-4 in conference play. Scores of the match in favor of the Mean Green were, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19.
 
The Lady Techsters surged out to an early 10-5 lead as freshman Jaena Bell and sophomore Faith Menary each collected a pair of kills and Johnson and sophomore Morgan Smith each served up aces. The Mean Green would claw their way back into the match knotting the score at 13-13. With the score even at 14-14 the Lady Techsters used a 4-0 burst behind a kill from senior Jordyn Carswell and an ace serve from sophomore Mallory Meers to take a 18-14 lead. North Texas responded with a 6-0 run of their own to hold a 20-18 advantage. Another kill by Menary and a block by sophomore Carly Doros and Bell tied the score at 20-20, but the Mean Green would score five of the last six points to take the opening set 25-21. Johnson collected 15 digs in the first set for the Lady Techsters.
 
In set two, the Lady Techsters got kills from Menary, Carswell and Smith as well as back-to-back aces from Mallory Meers to open up an 8-3 lead. North Texas answered with a 12-3 run taking a 15-11 lead. The Mean Green extended that lead out to 20-14, before an ace serve from sophomore Ainsley Yanz and kills by Doros, Smith, Menary and Meers cut the deficit to two at 20-22. North Texas would finish off the set with a pair of kills from preseason All C-USA Rhett Robinson for a 25-21 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
North Texas raced out to an early 9-5 lead before extending their advantage out to 15-9 in the third set. The Lady Techsters fought back as Doros and Menary combined on a double-stuff and Carswell and Bell hammered home a kill cutting the Mean Green lead down to three at 17-14. That would be as close as the Lady Techsters would get as North Texas claimed the victory with a 25-19 set win.
 
NOTABLES

• McKenzie Johnson set a new school record with 36 digs in a single match.
• Johnson recorded her second match with 30+ digs this season.
• Johnson has recorded double-digit digs in 16 straight games.
• Faith Menary led the Lady Techsters offense with 10 kills
• Menary recorded her fourth double-double of the year with 10 kills and 14 digs tonight.
• The Lady Techsters served up seven ace serves.
• Mallory Meers served up a trio of aces for LA Tech.
• Johnson recorded her fifth straight game with two or more ace serves with a pair of ace serves today.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Amber McCray
"I thought we came out with much better energy, talking and playing with fight and fire that we lacked yesterday in the early sets. I think overall, we are a team that has to find a way to score. Our defense is playing lights out. They are keeping us in matches and that is highlighted in McKenzie Johnson setting the single match digs record with 36 digs today. I think that if we can continue to build around and find ways to score with all the opportunities that she has given us, we can do some really good things."

UP NEXT
The Lady Techsters return to the court next Friday at 7 p.m. when it faces UTEP in El Paso, Texas.

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