TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler volleyball program got their final home weekend of 2022 started with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-15) sweep of St. Mary's on Friday night.
 
Senior Mikayla Ware posted a double-double with team highs in both kills (16) and digs (14), while the Patriot defense limited St. Mary's to a -0.010 team hitting percentage for the night. UT Tyler makes it three straight home victories by way of a sweep and improves their record inside the Herrington Patriot Center to 6-1 on the year.
 
The negative team hitting percentage for St. Mary's is the second time in 2022 the Patriots have forced their opposition into more attacking errors than kills, thanks in large part to spectacular efforts from the back row of the Patriot defense. Libero Savannah Guzman, who climbed into second all-time in the UT Tyler record books with 1,553 digs and counting, joined Ware and sophomore Addison Evans (11) in double-digit dig totals on the night with 10.
 
The Patriot offense hit .287 with 44 kills on 101 attacks, led by Ware's .333 percentage with 16 kills on 36 swings. Senior Hannah Callison started her final weekend on her home floor in style as well with eight kills on 16 swings and just a single attacking error.
 
UT Tyler moves to 16-8 on the year and 9-4 in Lone Star Conference play, and sits in sixth place in the Lone Star Conference standings heading into tomorrow afternoon's home finale.
 
The Patriots broke the opening frame open with an 8-3 run midway through the set to extend a 10-9 lead into am 18-12 advantage. St. Mary's managed to cut the deficit to 20-16, but a 5-1 run to close out the set ensured a 25-17 opening set victory for the Patriots.
 
UT Tyler posted 15 or more kills in both of the first two sets, producing hitting percentages of .367 and .351 while committing less than five attacking errors in both frames to get off to an excellent start on the offensive side of the net.
 
That offensive output allowed the Patriots to storm back from a 6-0 deficit to start the second set in what would effectively prove to be the turning point in the match. UT Tyler took the lead for the first time in the set at the 8-7 mark and then leaned on their 16 kills in the frame with just three attacking errors to win 25-21.
 
That offensive momentum translated into defensive success in the third and final set as the Patriots forced St. Mary's into nine attacking errors throughout the frame, and just two kills, for a -0.241 team hitting percentage. That defensive work once again allowed the Patriots to answer a 5-0 run for St. Mary's to begin the set, and eventually turned into a 20-10 UT Tyler advantage to allow the Patriots to cruise to a third straight sweep on their home floor.
 
UT Tyler won the kill battle with 44 to the Rattler's 22, and out-dug St. Mary's by a 51-to-37 final tally. Both setters in Adeline Ortman and Saige Rivera turned in 17 assists for the night to keep the Patriot offense flowing throughout the match.
 
The Patriots will honor five seniors in Mikayla Ware, Savannah Guzman, Hattie Murray, Kylee Becker and Hannah Callison prior to tomorrow's home finale set for a 1 p.m. first serve against St. Edward's.