The University of Incarnate Word’s volleyball season has been long and expansive, a mixture of winning and losing streaks predicated, in part, around the severity of injuries.

With a spot secured and no real opportunity to enhance their seeding for the upcoming Southland Conference tournament, the Cardinals didn’t appear to have much to play for heading into their final two regular-season matches.

By the time they walked away this weekend from the McDermott Center, the Cardinals had a haul that included a school record for wins, retribution for earlier losses, a fond farewell for the team’s seniors, and plenty of momentum.

Incarnate Word swept Northwestern State (La.) 25-13, 25-20, 25-16 in Saturday’s season finale. Two days earlier, the squad rallied for a 25-27, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-6 decision vs. Texas A&M-Commerce.

The Cardinals (15-15, 7-11) are the No. 6 seed at the Southland Conference tournament in Corpus Christi. They play No. 7 New Orleans in the first round at 7 p.m. Thursday. Incarnate Word split two meetings this season with New Orleans, winning in a sweep at home on Oct. 14 and falling in five sets on the road on Nov. 2.

Incarnate Word has won two of its last three since the setback to New Orleans. The defining point might have come on Nov. 9 against Texas A&M-Commerce.

When the teams met on Oct. 5, Texas A&M-Commerce prevailed 21-25, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 22-20. Both teams fended off four match points in the final set before the Lions tallied the last two points to win.

Incarnate Word entered the most recent match coming off back-to-back losses and it appeared as if the losing streak would be extended when Texas A&M-Commerce captured the first two sets.

“Even though it’s the last of the season, everyone’s tired, but we knew if we’re the one who is working the hardest, we’re going to come out on top,” Incarnate Word junior setter Natalie Kimmel said. “We went into the locker room after the first two sets and we just were like, ‘Alright, this is our time.’ “

The break was what the Cardinals needed to regroup. They won the third and fourth sets to push the contest to a decisive fifth frame. Incarnate Word reeled off six of the final eight points after the Lions got within 9-8, winning on the second of back-to-back aces from Kimmel.

“We lost to Commerce the last time in five, and I think we had a little chip on our shoulders,” Incarnate Word junior outside hitter Risa Sena said. “We didn’t quite execute the first two sets, but we kept going and stayed motivated.”

The win was Incarnate Word’s 14th in its first year under Coach Gabby Ording, the most in one season as an NCAA Division I program since the school transitioned to the college’s highest division in 2013. Sena had a match-high 23 kills. Allison Palmi added 15 kills and 18 digs. Kyla Malone totaled 17 kills and 14 digs, Annamarie Alvarez notched nine kills and three blocks, freshman Sofia Grimm contributed six kills, including two crucial ones down the stretch of the fifth set, and libero Mariela Nieto had 25 digs.

“There was a lot of motivation behind that win,” Kimmel said. “We just kind of pulled together. We knew what we had to lose, but we focused more on what we had to win. We had no doubts in our minds we could reverse sweep. We had full confidence.”

The confidence carried over to Saturday. In a match that paid homage to the seniors — Alvarez, Audrey Patton, Palmi and Nieto — the Cardinals steamrolled Northwestern State (La.) 25-13, 25-20, 25-16.

Northwestern State won the first encounter between the teams 25-20, 20-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-7 on Oct. 7 but had little chance this time.

Palmi racked up 14 kills, Sena had eight and Malone and Kade Thomas each had seven apiece. Nieto had 17 digs and Kimmel tallied 18 assists and two aces.

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1