AUSTIN, TEXAS – UT Tyler volleyball got 40 total kills from the duo of Shaye Koski and Sophie Connor and eight block assists from the trio of Maiya Peña, Jackie Velzis, and Dakota Rogers-Hurtado to lead them to a bigtime 3-1 win over St. Edward's.
 
The Hilltoppers were the team to jump out to the quick advantage, holding leads of 9-4, 12-5, and 14-7 to put the Patriots on their heels in the first set. From that 14-7 mark, the Patriots rattled off a 7-3 run themselves that included a pair of kills from Connor and one each from Koski and Peña to get themselves back into the set.
 
The turning point of that set came at the 19-15 mark, as a Koski kill kick started the Patriots offense as they went on a 7-1 run to take the lead at 22-20. The set would be tied at 22, 23, and 24, but the Patriots got three straight kills from Connor and Koski to take the first set at 26-24.
 
That fast start for the Hilltoppers in set one was reflected in the second set, but this time it was in the Patriots favor. After being tied at 4-4, the Patriots won seven of the next eight points behind three more kills from Koski and a Peña ace.
 
The Hilltoppers got themselves to an 11-8 deficit, but that was the closest they would get for the remainder of the set as the Patriots held the Hilltoppers to a -.029 hitting percentage and forced them into nine errors. That defense led to some big offense as the Patriots posted more kills, fewer errors, and more blocks in the second set to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The third set was one of the most competitive of the day, as the largest lead held by either side was just four points. The two teams tied themselves at 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 before the Patriots picked up a 6-2 run that featured six kills from Rogers-Hurtado, Koski, and Velzis.
 
St. Edward's continued to keep themselves in the match, but a pair of aces from Emma Vazquez to get the lead to 15-11 held them at bay. The Patriots offense continued to work in a big way, rolling themselves out to a 24-20 lead and a match point. However, a series of miscues from the Patriots combined with timely hitting from the Hilltoppers allowed them to go on a 7-1 run to pick up the unlikely set win and force a fourth set.
 
In that fourth set, UT Tyler clicked into gear yet again, stacking together five consecutive points after being tied at 3-3 thanks to three errors and a pair of kills from Connor. St. Edward's would pick up two quick points again to cut the deficit to three, but never got closer than that throughout the entire set as the Patriots held them at bay.
 
A critical 3-0 run came in the middle of the set, as Adeline Ortman picked up a pair of aces behind a Hilltoppers error that all but put the set out of reach. Koski would tack on four big kills down the stretch, all within the last six points to ensure a Patriots win at 25-20.
 
Koski on the day stacked together 22 total kills on a hitting percentage of .302. She was joined in double figures by Sophie Connor, who added in 18 kills on a .262 hitting percentage.
 
Adeline Ortman totaled 45 assists and a trio of aces on the day, and she was joined by Addison Evans and Emma Vazquez with three aces each.
 
Next up for UT Tyler will be the final weekend of the regular season as they host both UT Permian Basin and RV Angelo State inside the Herrington Patriot Center. The matchup against the Falcons will be Military Appreciation Night and against the Rambelles the Patriots will host Senior Day.