Cardinal Gym was loud Tuesday night with a large crowd on hand in anticipation of the fifth-ranked Lady Cards' home opener.

The Lady Cards didn't disappoint.

In the home coaching debut of Aleah Hayes, they bounced back after dropping the opening set to score a 3-1 win against North Central Texas College in a non-conference match. The Lady Cards won, 18-25, 25-16, 27-25, 25-21.

The win boosted the Lady Cards' season record to 4-1 going into tournament action in Brenham this weekend at Blinn College. The Lady Cards are scheduled to play NCTC again at 9 a.m. Friday before taking on Temple at 3 p.m. Saturday, they play No. 3 Iowa Western at 11 a.m. and No. 12 Hill at 3 p.m.

In Tuesday's win against NCTC, the third set was the pivotal moment of the match. The Lady Cards trailed 8-2 early on and were down 12-4 before mounting a comeback, further fueling the electric atmosphere of the crowd. The win in the set was a team effort, led by big hits from Yasmim da Silva and Erica Airheart and precision serving from Livia Kimura.

The next home game for the Lady Cards is scheduled, Wednesday, Sept. 18 against Wharton at 6 p.m.