The SLU Lady Lions beat UTRGV in a 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-19) victory to secure the 2024 Southland Conference regular season championship and lock in the No. 1 seed in the SLC Championship Tournament.

The Lady Lions’ path to victory wasn’t without its challenges. UTRGV came out strong in the first set. However, Southeastern responded resiliently, bouncing back in the second set as senior hitter Cicily Hidalgo and sophomore middle hitter India Bennet blocked UTRGV to win the set 25-18.

With the game tied 1-1, the third set was crucial for both teams, and neither side was disappointed. SLU started with a 4-1 lead, which gave them the edge throughout the set, though UTRGV kept up the pressure, making the final points of the third set some of the longest rallies of the match.

The fourth set again started with SLU leading UTRGV 4-0, a deficit UTRGV couldn’t overcome. Though SLU ultimately won the set, the teams traded points for nearly the entire time. Near the end, with SLU leading 21-19, opposite hitter Kyra McKelvey closed out the set with three kills and a block to win the match.

With the victory, Southeastern extended its winning streak to a nation-best 22 games and secured the No. 1 seed for the Southland Conference Volleyball Championship.

The Lady Lions have now won back-to-back SLC regular season titles and will look to make it three straight tournament triumphs next week at the University Center.

Head Coach Jeremy White reflected on the team’s readiness for the next two away games and the upcoming conference championship.

“We’re going to fix some of our issues and stuff that we are having right now and make some adjustments. But for the most part, I think our kids are battle-tested. They’ve been through a ton of big matches,” White said.

McKelvey commented on how she plans to stay prepared for the remainder of the season and the championship tournament.

“It was just being confident in myself again, just like I did in my SFA game,” McKelvey said. 

After their three-game home stint, the Green and Gold will head to Commerce, Texas, to face SLC rival East Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. tonight. Fans can watch live on ESPN+.

For all things Southeastern volleyball, stay posted to The Lion’s Roar.