TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler clinched a spot in next week's 2023 Lone Star Conference Volleyball Championship with a 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 25-20) win over UT Permian Basin on Friday night.
 
The Patriots finished off the match with a pair of convincing set victories in the third and fourth frame after a split in the first two sets to win the first of two key matches for the Patriots to close out the 2023 regular season. The win solidifies a spot for UT Tyler in next week's Lone Star Conference Volleyball Championship and inched the program closer to a potential third-straight bid into the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
 
Sophomore Brylee Peterson hit .375 and led the Patriots with 18 kills on the evening on 40 swings. UT Tyler stood strong defensively once again, with four individuals registering double-digit dig totals in the match.
 
The Patriots will have another key outing tomorrow afternoon in a match against (RV) Angelo State, who sat no. 5 in the latest edition of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Rankings. UT Tyler stood at no. 9 entering this weekend's matches in those rankings, one spot out of the magic eight top teams that will qualify for the NCAA Division II National Tournament from the South Central Region.
 
Junior Sophie Connor was strong offensively alongside Peterson, notching 14 kills on the night, eight of which came in the first two sets.
 
UT Tyler rode an 11-5 start in the opening frame to an eventual 25-21 victory. Connor and freshman Shaye Koski combined for 11 of the 14 UT Tyler kills in the set, while the Patriot defense allowed just 10 kills.
 
UT Permian Basin tied the match up at 1-1 with a 25-21 set victory of their own in the second frame after building a 15-10 advantage and then holding off a late UT Tyler rally.
 
The Patriots immediately responded after what would be their lone set loss of the night with a quick 7-1 start to the third frame. UT Permian Basin came back and tied the set at 12-12, but a 4-1 run to close out the frame put UT Tyler back ahead 2-1 in the match with a 25-19 victory.
 
UT Tyler hit .256 in the third set as a team and then closed out the match with their best offensive work of the night, hitting .343 with 15 kills on just 35 swings in the fourth.
 
The Patriots needed that offensive efficiency as the Falcons led 17-16  and then 19-18 after a back-and-forth start to the set. UT Tyler closed out the frame and the match on a 6-1 run that solidified the victory and punched the Patriots ticket to the Lone Star Conference Volleyball Championship.
 
Libero Addison Evans notched a team-high 17 digs, while Adeline Ortman (15), Mikayla Villareal (15) and Bella Briceno (14) all reached the 10-plus dig threshold for the night. The Patriots limited UT Permian Basin to a hitting percentage of just .164 on the night and 48 kills as a unit.
 
Ortman posted a double-double with 48 assists to go along with her 15 digs.
 
UT Tyler hit .218 with 58 kills on 156 swings.
 
UT Tyler and Angelo State will get started tomorrow with a 2 p.m. first serve. Senior Maiya Peña will be honored prior to first serve as part of Senior Day for the program.