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UNIVERSITY PRESS SPORTS Thursday, October 10 , 2019 Lady Cards rout Bearkats, 5-0

Okoronkwo scores 11th of season against SHSU

Cade Smith UP sports editor

The Lady Cardinals soccer team defeated Southland Con- ference opponent Sam Houston State, 5-0, Sunday, at the LU Soccer Complex. With the win, the Cards have won three straight and are now 7-6 (4-1 SLC). LU swept the weekend games, having beaten Stephen F. Austin 4-1, Friday. “We played a really good game Friday night and we chal- lenged our players,” head coach Steve Holeman said. “We told ourselves that Sam Houston is coming in, and they got some momentum and were unde- feated in conference. “(SHSU) didn’t play on Fri- day and we had some really good UP photo by Cade Smith momentum — we challenged our players. Can we be better LU’s Esther Okoronkwo crosses the ball during Saturday’s 5-0 win over Sam Houston State at the LU Soccer Complex. Okoronkwo scored twice, giving her 11 on the season. today? Can we start off strong? The team definitely came of the net for the second goal of ued their dominance in the sec- ing out the 5-0 scoreline. Friday, when they travel to through.” the game. ond half. In the 62nd minute, “I didn’t expect the ball to go Hammond, La., to take on It didn’t take long for the In the 32nd minute, Oko- Ashworth found Okoronkwo, in,” Ashworth said. “(Oko- Southeastern Louisiana at 6 Lady Cards to strike. In the first ronkwo connected with mid- who sprung the offside trap and ronkwo) and I work well to- p.m. at . The minute, forward Madison Ledet fielder Juana Plata whose cross scored her 11th goal of the sea- gether, and I think that is why Lady Lions are 2-9-1, 1-4 SLC. passed to forward Lucy Ash- was headed into the net by son. we are doing well this season. “As a coaching staff, we worth in front of the goal, and Ledet, for her second and LU’s “It feels amazing,” Oko- We are playing off of each other haven’t looked at them yet,” Ashworth found midfielder Ana third goal before halftime. ronkwo said. “I wasn’t even well.” Holeman said. “They are a lot Loftus who squeezed the ball “We knew we didn’t want to thinking about it, I just shot it — Goalkeepers Sandra Nygard better than their record indi- past Lady Bearkats goalkeeper take our foot off of the gas at I didn’t think it would go in.” and Erin Branch worked to- cates. At their place, it is a tough Abbie DeLozier, to put the Cards halftime,” Holeman said. “We Four minutes later, Loftus gether on the shutout. Nygard place to play. It is on turf on a up 1-0. continued to play and press found Ashworth on the right recorded three saves and Branch football field and it changes the Four minutes later, Ashworth them, and we got comfortable wing. Her cross that sailed over had two. The duo faced 19 shots game entirely. Our team is very fired a pass to forward Esther for the rest of the game.” everyone and into the net for her by the Lady Bearkats. good on grass, so playing on the Okoronkwo who found the back The Lady Cardinals contin- 10th goal of the season, round- The Cards return to action turf will be a challenge for us.” Victory in Defeat

COMMENTARY placed 18th at the 2019 na- favorite team to lose to. Scott Sayre tional tournament. One of They were joking around UP contributor the best teams in the na- and having fun. It seemed tion was on one side of the like they were at the tour- There are many reasons net and a team that was nament just to play volley- to join a club sports team. I playing its first tourna- ball, and not to take the joined Lamar’s club volley- ment together was on the games way too seriously. ball team because my other side. We figured that One person on their team friends were on the team. I we were going to lose the even gave us a few tips in wanted to hang out with match — and we did. We the middle of the game. them, and it seemed like got absolutely demolished They were so nice, and we the best way to do that was 21-3 and 21-5, but we knew loved having the opportu- on the court. I was also that we still had three nity to play them. looking for a way to be ac- more games. By our last game we tive, and club sports of- We did not let our were all exhausted. We fered that. heads drop. Our second called this team “The The Lamar Club volley- matchup was with Texas Dads.” Most of them were UP photo by Isabel Martinez ball team played its first- Tech. Through the first set, probably in their late twen- LU’s Tamauge Sloan is tackled during Saturday’s 27-24 win over Abilene Christian University in ever tournament as a club we felt pretty good. We ties and early thirties, so we Provost Umphrey Stadium. team, Sept. 28, and it was lost, but we were starting thought we might have a definitely an experience. to get the hang of what it chance. We were wrong. We got absolutely de- was like to play competi- Their experience shined in LU football heads to stroyed, but it did not kill tively. The second set the game as they killed any us. started, and we actually bit of hope we had. We knew going into the took the lead. We were up We obviously did not Micheael Purgason Me- 11-10. Then Texas Tech make the finals, but we SHSU in SLC action morial Classic in Austin went on a run. We lost the had fun. That is what play- that it was going to be second set 21-16. We were ing club sports is all about, Cade Smith made a great play on the ball, the rest tough. There were teams at ecstatic. We had just playing games you love UP sports editor happened as you saw it.” the tournament that have scored 16 points in a set. with friends. It didn’t mat- After the victory against ACU, played together for years, This was an incredible im- ter to us that we lost every The team Schultz announced that running back while we just started to provement. match. What mattered is will look to continue momentum this A.J. Walker has taken a leave of ab- play last spring. Some of us Going into our third that we were able to travel Saturday, after defeating the Abilene sence from the team. have never played volley- game, we were happy. We to a legit tournament as a Christian Wildcats, 27-24, this week- “We went into that game with close ball competitively, but that had been beaten twice, but team and play. It was such end at Provost Umphrey Stadium. to 17 people out,” he said. “We talked wasn’t going to stop us that didn’t matter. We a good experience for us This was the Cards first Southland pre-game about having to step-up and from trying. We spent the faced off against Airborne, both individually and as a Conference win on the season and now having our freshmen step up. Kyron past few weeks working which seemed to be made team. hold a regular season record of 3-3 (1- (Norwood) who had been a safety all tirelessly to prepare for the up of a bunch of volleyball While we got defeated 2 SLC). year got moved to play corner for us. tournament, but it wasn’t coaches and former college on the court, the weekend “It was a tough game coached by Aside from the loss of Walker, the enough. players. They were big, tall, was a victory. Everyone two well-coached football teams,” Cardinals are now razor focused on Somehow, a team that strong and really good at should look into joining a head coach Mike Schultz said in a No. 24 FCS ranked Sam Houston State had never played together volleyball. I am 6-feet 4- club team. It is a great way press conference. “Abilene Christian Bearkats (4-2, 3-0 SLC), Saturday. before got matched up inches and I felt small. to meet new people, get ex- did a great job. We made some great “Sam Houston is extremely explo- with the No.1 team in the They mopped the floor ercise, and have a good plays like we needed to. I’ve said it all sive on offense,” Schultz said. “They state, Texas A&M. They with us, but they were our time. this season that the secret to winning have two good quarterbacks in (Erin this year in this conference is that you Schmid and Ty Brock), a great receiver have to have a great plan, you have to in (Nathan Stewart), and they have Lamar Club Volleyball play hard, well and smart.” good running backs as well. played their first tour- For most of the game it looked like “The biggest thing that we are see- nament, Sept. 28, in the Cardinals were repeating mistakes ing is that they kind of overhaul their Austin. Scott Sayre that caused them to lose to Stephen F. defense a little. They are moving it in (back center) said the Austin at Homecoming. However, the the fronts running some zone and man camaraderie and the crucial moment in the game came in coverage, but they are mixing things value of teamwork by the last ten minutes of the fourth quar- up. It’s hard to tell when they transi- playing club sports. ter. tion from man to zone sometimes.” “It went down to ACU and we had The Cards will be traveling to Courtesy photo the surprise kangaroo kick,” Schultz Huntsville to take on the Bearkats and said. “Bailey Giffen again came will kick off at 2 p.m. inside Bowers through for us and has become a valu- Stadium. The game can be heard live able asset for us. Michael Lawson on Newstalk 560 KLVI.