TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler volleyball team made quick work of Eastern New Mexico in their 2022 home opener with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-12, 25-14) victory on Friday night inside the Herrington Patriot Center.
 
UT Tyler didn't concede double-digit kill totals in a single set and limited Eastern New Mexico to a -.021 team hitting percentage for the night in a match that the Patriots dominated from start to finish. The Patriots handily maintained the kill advantage 34-to-19, and benefitted from 21 hitting errors by the Greyhounds.
 
Senior Mikayla Ware led the way offensively with 13 kills on 30 swings, posting a hitting percentage of .367 for the match. Junior Evelyn Torres and sophomore Dakota Rogers-Hurtado both had six kills a piece to provide the majority of the offensive support for Ware.
 
UT Tyler led by 10 or more points in all three sets, and didn't trail at any point throughout either the first or second frames. The Patriot defensive work at the net forced the Greyhounds into more attacking errors than kills in each of the first two sets.
 
The Patriots on the other hand were efficient offensively throughout the match, failing to commit more than five attacking errors in any of the three sets. UT Tyler quickly led 15-5 in set one, and maintained that advantage throughout the later parts of the set for the 25-15 victory.
 
Set two was much of the same as UT Tyler opened a 17-7 advantage behind an offense that hit .308 in the set. The Patriots put down 12 kills in just 26 swings, and committed just four attacking errors.
 
Eastern New Mexico held their only advantage of the night up until a four-point run for the Patriots coming out of the 4-3 mark in the third and final set. The Patriots then used an 8-1 run in the later stages of the set to lead 23-11, and closed out the Greyhounds for the sixth 3-0 victory of the season.
 
Sophomore Adeline Ortman totaled 23 assists to manufacture the Patriot offense, and nearly reached double-double figures with nine digs. Senior Savannah Guzman led the defensive effort with 12 digs, while Rogers-Hurtado added a trio of blocks to her six kills for the night.
 
The Patriots win moves their overall record to 9-5 on the year and 2-1 in Lone Star Conference play. UT Tyler has won seven out of their last eight matches.
 
UT Tyler will return to the floor tomorrow afternoon inside the Herrington Patriot Center for a 1 p.m. match against Lubbock Christian.