EL PASO, Texas & LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Hampton University volleyball team split its two matches on Friday as part of the New Mexico State/Texas-El Paso Tournament, beating South Dakota State at Memorial Gym before falling to New Mexico State in the Pan American Center.

The Lady Pirates (5-6) beat SDSU 3-0 (25-19, 31-29, 25-20), before NMSU defeated Hampton 3-1 (28-26, 25-11, 24-26, 25-22).

Junior right side Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) led the Lady Pirates with 27 kills, tallying a .488 hitting percentage thanks to just five errors in 43 total attacks. Junior outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) added 10 kills, while also tying for the team lead in digs on defense with nine.

Senior setter Bibiany Fonseca (Uberlandia, Brazil) and senior libero Sheileen Pagan (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico) also had nine digs each.

Fonseca also had a team-high 44 assists.

South Dakota State led 8-5 early in the first set, before Hampton went on a 6-1 run to take an 11-9 lead on a kill from junior middle blocker Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia). SDSU answered with five of the next six points to take a 14-12 lead, before the Lady Pirates went on a 7-2 run to take a 21-16 lead after a Kraskura kill.

SDSU cut the lead to 22-19, but the Lady Pirates closed the set with three straight points to go to 1-0.

What followed was the set that would not end, as the second set featured 20 ties and six lead changes, including a frantic back-and-forth scramble in the closing points as both teams tried to grab control and momentum.

The Jackrabbits led 19-14 after a 6-1 spurt, before the Lady Pirates answered with six unanswered points to take a 20-19 lead on a kill from Strakova. SDSU tied the set on the next point, before Hampton scored three of the next four to take a 23-21 lead on a Kocevska kill.

SDSU responded with three straight points to force set point at 24-23, but Medina tied the set with a kill on the next rally. The two teams traded the next six points, before the Lady Pirates took a 28-27 lead on a kill from Kraskura.

SDSU fought back to take a 29-28 lead, before Kocevska registered a kill and Strakova followed with back-to-back kills to give the Lady Pirates the set and a 2-0 lead in the match.

After hitting .381 (25 kills, nine errors in 42 attacks) in the second set, the Lady Pirates hit .581 (19 kills, one error in 31 attacks) in the third set. The Lady Pirates led 6-4 early, before SDSU went on a 7-3 run to take an 11-9 lead.

The Lady Pirates fought back to take a 16-15 lead on a kill from Fonseca, before the Jackrabbits scored three of the next four to take an 18-17 lead. The Lady Pirates then closed the set on an 8-2 run, taking a 25-20 win – and the match – on a kill from sophomore outside hitter Allysa Medina (Menifee, Calif.).

The Lady Pirates hit .361 for the match, recording 57 kills and just 18 errors in 18 total attacks. Hampton also held SDSU to a .172 hitting percentage (33 kills, 17 errors in 93 attacks). Hampton also held a 2-1 advantage in service aces.

Wagner Larson led SDSU (2-9) with nine kills.

New Mexico State jumped out to an 8-6 lead in the first set of Friday night's game, but the Lady Pirates fought back to tie the set at 12-12. A block from senior middle blocker Petra Parros (Bloomfield, N.J.) later gave Hampton a 17-16 lead, but the Aggies fought back and took a 21-20 lead.

Hampton scored four of the next five points to go up 24-22 on a Kocevska ace, but NMSU fought back to tie the set at 24-24. Hampton then held the lead two more times, but after the Lady Pirates took a 26-25 lead, NMSU scored the next three points to steal away the set.

The Aggies carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead before the Lady Pirates clawed back to within 9-6 on a block from Kocevska and Kraskura. NMSU followed with a 9-3 run to take an 18-9 lead, en route to the 25-11 set win.

After the Aggies opened the third set with five straight points, the Lady Pirates went on a 5-1 spurt to cut the lead to 6-5 on a Strakova kill. Pagan later nailed an ace to tie the set at 11-11, before NMSU scored four straight to take a 15-11 lead.

Hampton answered with a 7-3 run to tie the set at 18-18 on a kill from Parros, then the two teams fought back-and-forth in the late stages of the set. NMSU forced match point by taking a 24-23 lead, but the Lady Pirates scored the next three points and forced a fourth set on a Kocevska ace.

NMSU took a 7-3 lead early in the fourth set, and the Aggies held a lead between three and four points for much of the match. But after the Aggies took a 19-15 lead, Hampton scored the next three points to close the gap to 19-18 after an ace from Kraskura.

A kill from junior outside hitter Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia) later tied the set at 21-21, but NMSU scored four of the last five points to take the set and the match.

The Lady Pirates hit .068 (45 kills, 35 errors in 148 attacks) against the Aggies, while NMSU hit .163 (47 kills, 25 errors in 135 attacks). Hampton held a 7-6 edge in aces.

Desiree Scott led NMSU (4-7) with 15 kills.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Saturday, when they take on UTEP at 4 p.m. EST in the Memorial Gym. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.