Match Info	Opponent Info
UT Tyler at St. Mary's UTT: 7-5, 4-0 LSC | STMU: 12-3, 5-0 LSC Friday, Oct. 11th | 6 p.m. San Antonio, Texas | Bill Greehey Arena		ROSTER	SCHEDULE	STATS
UT Tyler at St. Edward's UTT: 7-5, 4-0 LSC | SEU: 9-6, 1-3 LSC Saturday, Oct. 12th | 2 p.m. Austin, Texas | Recreation and Athletics Center		ROSTER	SCHEDULE	STATS

WHAT COACH MASHE IS SAYING

On last week's wins over Texas Woman's and #23 DBU... "Just so proud of our team. We really started off a little shaky against Texas Woman's, we were down by five two different times in that game and fought back and that was all the difference in the world once we got that first set win. We really started to cruise after that point and I thought our team played at a very high level and that's something we've been looking for for a whole match. And then Saturday's marathon match against DBU, what a fight. The scores were so close, within two or three in every set, I was just so proud of the poise in our team and ultimately our execution at the end. Big week for us."

On what a deep core of defensive specialists provides for the team... "We call that group "our littles". They are doing an incredible job for us right now. When we decided to switch to the 5-1 it opened up more availability for us to get them all on the floor. They are good every single day, all four of them, and can really frustrate alot of teams because they really can just dig up everything. When we're in system, we can really show the great team that we can be, and that group has helped us get there every single game. I'm proud of the way they're playing and the way they are stepping up for us. They are bringing a lot of energy to our floor as well, so they get a lot of credit in what we're doing right now."

On a road trip against two solid St. Mary's and St. Edward's teams... "Both are really good teams. We've talked a lot this year just about how good the conference is this year and that you better be ready in every single game. St. Mary's is just consistent. They have a lot of options to set, a great libero and their setters are doing a great job. They just have a solid team. We're also going to be playing on the road in their gym and they're playing with a lot of confidence. Same thing with St. Edward's, just some solid hitters that we're going to have to have an answer for. They're always tough in their gym. Both games we're going to have to be ready, but I think we have gained some confidence this last two weeks as a team and I hope we take that on the road with us."

LAST TIME OUT

UT Tyler volleyball claimed a 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 22-25, 18-16) win over #23 Dallas Baptist on Saturday afternoon to avenge an earlier season loss and remain unbeaten in Lone Star Conference play. The Patriots totaled their most kills in a match in the Division II era with 77 and needed every bit of offense as all five sets came down to the final few points. Junior Kota Hartman went for 24 kills and setter Saige Rivera set the UT Tyler volleyball program record with 67 assists in the match to help manufacture an offense that kept pace with #23 Dallas Baptist step-for-step. The first four sets were all tied at some point after the 20-20 mark and the deciding fifth set went to extra points in what was a tightly contested battle all afternoon. UT Tyler survived match point three times in that fifth and final set and ultimately used three-straight kills from the middle blocker duo of Dakota Rogers-Hurtado and Makhai Lewis to put away three straight points.

UT Tyler won an opening set in which they trailed by five points twice and then dominated the second and third frames to win 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-8) over Texas Woman's on Wednesday night. The Patriots found themselves down 16-11 and 20-15 before closing out a 25-22 opening set victory on a 10-2 run. UT Tyler took sole control of the match from that point forward, opening 6-1 and 6-0 advantages in the second and third sets to cruise to a three-set sweep. Junior Kota Hartman posted 12 kills and hit .242 on the night to extend her streak of matches with double-digit kill totals to 10 straight. Her counterpart Autumn Perry went for nine kills and the two middle blockers for UT Tyler were ultra-efficient as Dakota Rogers-Hurtado posted eight kills and a .538 hitting percentage and Makhai Lewis eight kills and a .412 hitting percentage.

PATRIOT NEWS AND NOTES

- The four straight wins on their home floor over the last two weeks positions UT Tyler in the mix of the top of the standings early in the Lone Star Conference schedule. The Patriots sit as one of three teams to have navigated the first two weeks of LSC play unbeaten alongside West Texas A&M and St. Mary's. UT Tyler will travel to St. Mary's on Friday night for a meeting with one of those unbeaten's, taking on a Rattlers team that has been one of the early surprises in conference play this season.
- UT Tyler is now 40-10 as a Division II program inside the Herrington Patriot Center and have gone 34-9 in home Lone Star Conference matches. The Patriots have lost just three home matches dating back to the 2021 season, going 29-3 in home matches over the course of the last three seasons.
- UT Tyler junior Saige Rivera has been selected as the Lone Star Conference Setter of the Week following her play in the UT Tyler wins over Texas Woman's and #23 Dallas Baptist. Rivera averaged 13.50 assists per set and manufactured a UT Tyler offense that hit .255 and averaged 15.25 kills per set between the two victories. This marks the second consecutive week that a representative from UT Tyler volleyball has earned a Player of the Week distinction by the Lone Star Conference following Dakota Rogers-Hurtado selection as last week's Defensive Player of the Week. Rivera made history in UT Tyler's 3-2 win over #23 DBU on Saturday afternoon, recording a program record 67 assists for an offense that set the Division II era record with 77 team kills in the match. The Temecula, Calif. native added 14 digs and four service aces to her 108 total assists between the two matches.
- The UT Tyler offense has found consistency in the midst of their four-match winning streak, posting a .270 team hitting percentage over those four matches. The Patriots have averaged 15.53 kills per set over that timeframe. Kota Hartman has been outstanding over that stretch, averaging 4.07 kills per set. 
- Hartman has been the mark of consistency for the Patriot offense all season, having reached double-digit kill totals in all but one match. She ranks ninth in the LSC with an average of 3.43 kills per set and has totaled 168 kills on the year. 
- The recent success of the Patriots can be attributed to an overall increase in quality of play across the team, but the elevated production from the offensive supporting cast of Hartman has undoubtedly been key for UT Tyler. Autumn Perry and Jackie Velzis have both been effective options on the outside, while middles Rogers-Hurtado and Makhai Lewis have both been potent when they have been involved in the offense. That offensive balance has been vital to the great start for the Patriots in LSC play.
- UT Tyler ranks 10th in the LSC with a season hitting percentage of .222. The Patriots have averaged 13.06 kills per set. 
- UT Tyler sits fourth in the LSC with an average of 1.67 service aces per set. Emma Vazquez ranks second in the LSC with an average of 0.50 aces per set and has totaled 18 on the year.
- Rogers-Hurtado sports a .363 hitting percentage on the year, fifth best in the LSC, and has hit .507 with 39 kills in 69 swings with just four hitting errors in the last four games.
- Senior libero Addison Evans became the 10th Patriot to eclipse the 1,000 dig mark for her career over the course of the opening weekend of games. Evans ranks seventh all-time with 1,169 digs in her four-year UT Tyler career.

SCOUTING ST. MARY'S

- The Rattlers enter the third week of play in the LSC with a 12-3 overall record and a 4-0 mark in conference action. The Rattlers have swept seven straight opponents and lead the Lone Star Conference with an average of 18.02 points per set.
- Balance has been the key for St. Mary's as they rank second in the league in hitting percentage (.256) and third in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.181). The Rattlers lead the conference in kills per set (14.15) and rank second in digs (17.36).
- Four different Rattlers have eclipsed the 100-kill mark for the season, led by Alicia Virthe, who has 186 kills for the year and is averaging 3.51 kills per set. 
- Libero Alyssa Koehl has been one of the best at her position in the LSC this season, leading the conference with 295 digs and an average of 5.57 per set.
- UT Tyler holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Patriots swept St. Mary's in the first two meetings, but dropped a 3-2 decision last season in San Antonio. 

SCOUTING ST. EDWARD'S

- St. Edward's will take on Dallas Baptist on Friday night prior to Saturday's match with UT Tyler. The Hilltoppers enter the weekend 9-6 on the year and have gotten off to a 1-3 start in conference play.
- Statistically, the Hilltoppers have been a well-rounded unit in 2024, ranking within the top five in the conference in points per set (17.52), hitting percentage (.234), kills per set (13.98) and digs per set (17.88). St. Edward's leads the LSC in both service aces (1.91) and digs per set.
- Mia Clay leads St. Edward's with 195 kills per set. Clay and Nat Neille both average north of 3.00 kills per set.
- UT Tyler is 3-2 all-time against St. Edward's. The Patriots have won both of the last two meetinsg by 3-1 margins.