TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler posted their second highest hitting percentage of the year and limited the opposition to their lowest point total this season in a 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-17) sweep of Western New Mexico.
 
The Patriots hit .297 as a team, their highest hitting percentage since the opening weekend of the season, and limited Western New Mexico to just 25.0 points to cruise in all three set victories. Sophomore Jackie Velzis led the Patriots with 10 kills on just 21 swings on the afternoon.
 
UT Tyler built 10-plus point leads in each of the first two sets and never relinquished control of the match at any point to move to 10-7 on the year and 4-2 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
Western New Mexico managed just 21 kills, seven in each set, against a rock-solid UT Tyler defense. Libero Addison Evans led the Patriots with 12 digs, while freshman Shaye Koski added nine digs to her nine kill offensive output.
 
UT Tyler scored nine of the first 10 points to open play on Saturday afternoon and extended their advantage to 21-8 midway through the opening frame. The Patriots put down 16 kills on just 33 swings, committing just three errors, to open the match with a .394 hitting percentage in the opening frame.
 
Set two was much of the same as UT Tyler jumped out to a 10-1 lead and never looked back, putting down 14 kills on just 29 swings for a .345 hitting percentage.
 
Set three wasn't as efficient offensively for the Patriots, as they hit just .179 in the frame and totaled 13 kills, but the UT Tyler defensive effort was more than enough to comfortably take the final set of the afternoon and solidify the sweep. UT Tyler put together three different runs of three or more unanswered points to win 25-17.
 
Setter Adeline Ortman was key to an efficient offensive afternoon for the Patriots and totaled 18 assists to go along with eight digs. Sophomore Jeorgia Jones put down eight kills on just 14 swings, and graduate student Maiya Peña needed just 11 swings for seven kills.
 
UT Tyler will now prepare for a key stretch of two straight weekends on the road in the coming weeks beginning next weekend with matches against Texas A&M International and Texas A&M-Kingsville.