KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – UT Tyler dropped three sets in a row on Friday afternoon to fall by a 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-11) margin against Texas Woman's.

The Patriots held the advantage for the majority of their 25-22 first set victory and then closed out the Pioneers late for a 25-23 second set win, but couldn't close out the match as Texas Woman's managed to take the next three close frames. Four Patriots reached double-digit kill totals in what was a relatively strong offensive match for both sides.

Junior Jackie Velzis led UT Tyler with 17 kills on the afternoon while Autumn Perry (12), Kota Hartman (10) and Alyson Robbins (10) all reached the double-digit kill threshold. UT Tyler hit .222 as a unit for the match, putting down 62 kills in 185 swings.

UT Tyler opened the match with a first set victory that saw the Patriots maintain control all the way through the frame after an 8-1 early run put them ahead 8-3. The Patriots never relinquished the lead from that point forward despite a late rally that saw the Pioneers make it 22-21 before UT Tyler eventually closed out the set.

The second set was back-and-forth before each side managed late runs as UT Tyler turned a 19-19 set into a 23-19 ballgame. Texas Woman's provided a 4-1 run of their own to make it 24-23, but a kill by UT Tyler's Makhai Lewis allowed the Patriots to close the set with a 25-23 win.

Texas Woman's rode an 18-13 advantage to a third set win, holding off a late UT Tyler rally to win 25-22 and then forced a deciding fifth set with a 5-1 run after trailing 22-20 late in the fourth. The Pioneers took full advantage of the fifth-set opportunity scoring 10 kills in their 15 points, hitting .333 in the frame as a team, while UT Tyler managed just five kills on 20 swings to fall by a 15-11 tally.

Texas Woman's went for 10 or more kills in all four sets and posted a .226 hitting percentage as a team, out-killing UT Tyler by an 81-to-78 margin.

Velzis scored her 17 kills in just 40 swings, posting a .300 hitting percentage for the afternoon. Robbins was ultra efficient as well, scoring her 10 kills on just 19 swings with one attacking error for a .474 hitting percentage.

Libero Addison Evans led UT Tyler with 15 digs, one of three Patriots to go for double-digit digs alongside Emma Vazquez (14) and Saige Rivera (11).

Rivera notched a double-double, leading the UT Tyler offense with 22 assists to go along with 11 digs.

UT Tyler falls to 3-4 on the year and will take on Texas A&M-Kingsville tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. in their final match of the weekend.