GOLDEN, COLO. – #19 UT Tyler came out on both sides of a sweep on day one of the Oredigger Volleyball Classic with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23) victory over Colorado Christian in match one, and a 3-0 (23-25, 17-25, 16-25) defeat at the hands of Colorado Mesa in match two.
 
It was a day of two vastly different results on the opening day of the 2022 season for the Patriots, as a dominant 3-0 victory over Colorado Christian in a match in which UT Tyler trailed just twice throughout the entirety of the contest, didn't seem to translate to momentum into the evening match against Colorado Mesa. That night match was all Colorado Mesa, as the Mavericks enacted revenge over the Patriots after being upset by UT Tyler in the quarterfinals of last year's South Central Regional Tournament.
 
The first match of the day displayed a UT Tyler squad with that same offensive firepower that led the program to their first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament last season, as the team posted a .347 hitting percentage and had three different individuals reach double-digit scoring totals.
 
Senior Mikayla Ware got her 2022 campaign started with a double-double, posting 15 kills and 15 digs while totaling a .379 hitting percentage for the match. Junior Evelyn Torres and senior Hannah Callison both followed suit with Ware, posting efficient days on the offensive side of the net with 11 and 10 kills respectively.
 
UT Tyler survived a late Colorado Christian rally thanks to 18 kills in the first set to take the first frame of 2022 by a 25-22 margin. The volume of offense turned into an efficient offense in the second set, as the Patriots put down 14 kills in just 27 swings to post a .481 team hitting percentage and a 25-15 victory.
 
The Patriots then found a balance of volume and efficiency in set number three to stay in control of the match and move to 1-0 on the year. Freshman Saige Rivera was impressive in her first collegiate start, manufacturing a Patriot offense with 26 assists against the Cougars.
 
A closely contested start to the night match against Colorado Mesa quickly turned firmly into the hands of the Mavericks, as UT Tyler couldn't overcome a late 5-1 Colorado Mesa run in set one to fall by a 25-23 margin. Sets two and three were all Colorado Mesa, as UT Tyler failed to notch double-digit kills in either set, and posted just a .033 hitting percentage as a team for the match.


Colorado Mesa capitalized on the uncharacteristically slow night for the Patriot offense, and moved to 2-0 on the year.
 
Ware led UT Tyler with seven kills and matched the team high in digs with classmate Savannah Guzman, who totaled seven for the match.
 
UT Tyler will have an opportunity to rebound tomorrow with a pair of matches against Northern State at 1:30 p.m., and #11 Colorado School of Mines at 5:30 p.m. to conclude play in the Oredigger Classic.