WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS – UT Tyler volleyball earned a hard-fought five-set victory over Midwestern State on Saturday afternoon, rallying for a 3-2 Lone Star Conference win at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Patriots dropped the opening set before responding to take the next two and ultimately claimed the match with a 15-7 win in the decisive fifth set.
UT Tyler improved to 15-3 overall and 6-2 in Lone Star Conference play with set scores of 22-25, 25-15, 25-22, 18-25 and 15-7.
Miley Myers delivered a historic performance for the Patriots, finishing with a career-high 27 kills on 54 attacks while hitting .444. Her 27 kills marked the most by a UT Tyler player in a match since the program moved to NCAA Division II and the third-highest single-match total in program history.
Autumn Perry also reached a major career milestone, recording her 1,000th career kill on her seventh kill of the night. Perry finished with eight kills and added three total blocks, contributing on both sides of the net as UT Tyler battled through a competitive matchup.
The Mustangs took the opening set 25-22 after the teams traded points throughout much of the frame. UT Tyler stayed within reach late, but Midwestern State closed out the set to take an early lead.
The Patriots responded emphatically in the second set. After the score was tied at 8-8, UT Tyler created separation with a decisive run, building a 14-8 advantage and continuing to apply pressure. Myers helped fuel the attack as the Patriots pulled away for a 25-15 win to even the match.
UT Tyler carried that momentum into the third set, using a late push to create distance in a close contest. With the score tied at 20-20, the Patriots won five of the final seven points to take the set 25-22 and move ahead 2-1.
Midwestern State answered in the fourth, building an advantage and forcing a deciding set with a 25-18 win. The Patriots regrouped for the fifth, taking control early and limiting the Mustangs to just seven points to seal the match with a 15-7 decision.
UT Tyler finished with 54 kills and a .248 hitting percentage, while the Patriots' blocking effort proved important throughout the five sets. Maya Jones led the team with six block assists, while Makhai Lewis added seven block assists and Myers contributed one. Ava Collins led UT Tyler with 29 assists, while Clinton added three service aces.
The Patriots will look to build on the conference road win as they continue Lone Star Conference at home next week against West Texas A&M.
