SAN MARCOS, Texas (SMU) – The SMU volleyball season ended Thursday night as Texas Tech defeated the Mustangs (26-24, 25-23, 25-20) in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship in Strahan Coliseum. SMU finished the season 21-11, winning 20 matches for the fifth straight year, and advanced to the postseason in each of the last three years.

Kelly Brunstein led the Mustangs with 13 kills, one shy of her career-high 14 which she set in Strahan Coliseum in a five-set win against Texas State earlier this season. The junior committed just one error, hitting .750 in the match. Brittany Adams finished with 10 kills for the Mustangs.

The Red Raiders (16-14) won the third set, 25-20, to end the match. Trailing by six points early, SMU scored five unanswered to get to within one, 8-7. Texas Tech found a way to extend the lead back to six, 18-12, en route to the win.

SMU hit .274 for the match, scoring 42 kills as a team. The defense accounted for eight points on blocks, including six blocks by Meryn Kennedy. Texas Tech hit .331 with 59 kills.

Texas Tech came back to win the first set, 26-24. The Mustangs scored back-to-back points to take a 20-17 lead, but the Red Raiders scored four unanswered after a timeout for a 21-20 lead. SMU recaptured the lead, and had the first chance to win the set, leading 24-23. Texas Tech again rallied, scoring three straight kills to win the set.

In the second set, SMU rallied back from three points down to tie the score, 18-18, but the Mustangs were not able to take the lead. The Red Raiders went back on top by two, and maintained a two-point advantage, 24-22. Brunstein scored what was her team-best ninth kill on the first set-point attempt, but Chandler Atwood scored a kill on the next serve for the win. Atwood scored Texas Tech's last three points, becoming the second Red Raider in double figures through two sets.