SILVER CITY, N.M. – The UT Tyler volleyball team dominated the first two sets and then completed a comeback in set three to sweep Western New Mexico by a 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-23) final on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Patriots began the game with an efficient offensive attack, and then leaned on stout defensive output in what would be the third and final set. UT Tyler hit .458 in the opening set, .216 in the second set, and then totaled six of the teams 11.0 total blocks on the afternoon in the third and final set.
 
Senior Mikayla Ware posted 10 kills in 27 attacks, while classmate Hannah Callison put down nine kills in just 13 swings for a .615 hitting percentage. Sophomore Dakota Rogers-Hurtado put together a complete effort as well, posting eight kills in just 15 swings to go along with five blocks.
 
UT Tyler opened the match with a 21-8 advantage in the first frame behind an offensive attack that needed just 24 swings to notch 14 kills in the set. The Patriots opened up another dominant lead in the second set, leading 18-8 to cruise to a second straight convincing win.
 
The dominance seen in the 25-18 and 25-14 first and second set wins for the Patriots didn't continue into what would be the final frame, as the UT Tyler offense cooled off in the final frame with 11 kills in 42 swings for a .071 hitting percentage. Western New Mexico took advantage, leading 9-5 and then again 16-12 before the Patriots finally tied the game at the 19-19 mark.
 
Kills from Ware and Maiya Peña eventually gave UT Tyler the two consecutive points needed to close out the set and the match with the 25-23 victory.
 
UT Tyler had 37 kills in the match and posted a .214 team hitting percentage in the win. Ware added 12 digs to her 10 kills for the double-double, matching the team high for digs in the match with sophomore Addison Evans. The Patriots out-killed the Mustangs by a 37-to-29 margin.
 
UT Tyler will return home next weekend for Friday and Saturday matches against Texas A&M International and Texas A&M-Kingsville.