LAST TIME OUT

UT Tyler volleyball enters this week's matches with a 15-3 record after earning a pair of Lone Star Conference victories on the road last week.

The Patriots opened the week with a 3-0 sweep of Lubbock Christian on Friday night at the Rip Griffin Center, winning 25-19, 25-14 and 25-22 to improve to 14-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play. UT Tyler finished with 46 kills and a .277 hitting percentage while limiting the Chaparrals to a .076 mark. The Patriots also held a 9-6 advantage in total blocks and outdug Lubbock Christian 47-38. Miley Myers led the offensive attack with 11 kills, while Kailey Manes added 10 kills and a match-high six block assists. Maya Jones contributed nine kills and three block assists, while Anna Arceneaux paced the defense with 16 digs. Ava Collins recorded 20 assists, and Riley Clinton added 18 assists.

UT Tyler followed with a hard-fought five-set victory over Midwestern State on Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, rallying for a 3-2 win by scores of 22-25, 25-15, 25-22, 18-25 and 15-7. The victory moved the Patriots to 15-3 overall and 6-2 in Lone Star Conference play. Myers delivered a historic performance, recording 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 career milestone, recording her 1,000th career kill and finishing with eight kills and three total blocks. The Patriots totaled 54 kills and hit .248 as a team, with Maya Jones contributing six block assists and Makhai Lewis adding seven. Collins led UT Tyler with 29 assists, while Clinton recorded three service aces. After dropping the opening set and splitting the next three, the Patriots dominated the decisive fifth set, limiting the Mustangs to seven points to secure the conference road victory.

The Patriots will look to carry their momentum into this week's home matchups against West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico as they continue Lone Star Conference play.

PATS STATS

Through 18 matches, UT Tyler has received contributions throughout its lineup, led offensively by Melanie Merrill. The senior leads the Patriots with 142 kills and is averaging 2.25 kills per set while hitting .251. Merrill has also recorded 36 digs and 37 total blocks on the season.

Maya Jones ranks second on the team with 137 kills and is averaging 2.32 kills per set while hitting .248. Autumn Perry has added 128 kills while averaging 2.72 kills per set, while Kailey Manes has recorded 112 kills and leads the Patriots' primary attackers with a .365 hitting percentage. Sydney Atkinson has also contributed 112 kills, averaging 2.00 kills per set, while Miley Myers has recorded 64 kills in 10 matches and is averaging 2.78 kills per set.

Defensively, Anna Arceneaux leads the Patriots with 286 digs and is averaging 4.47 digs per set. She has also recorded 218 service receptions with a .950 reception percentage. Mia Cross has added 115 digs, while Kaitlyn Davis has recorded 114 digs. At the net, Makhai Lewis leads UT Tyler with 72 total blocks, including nine solo blocks and 63 block assists, while Manes has contributed 58 total blocks.

Riley Clinton has directed the Patriots' offense with 332 assists, averaging 5.19 assists per set, while Kate Christiansen has added 148 assists and is averaging 4.77 assists per set. Ava Collins has contributed 165 assists in 11 matches, averaging 4.85 assists per set, giving the Patriots multiple options to lead the offense.

PATRIOTS NEWS AND NOTES

• UT Tyler finished the 2025 season with a 17-12 overall record and 12-5 mark in Lone Star Conference play, advancing to the LSC Championship Semifinals for the second consecutive season. Autumn Perry earned All-Lone Star Conference First Team honors after leading the Patriots with 3.49 kills per set and 339 total kills. Kailey Manes and Jackie Velzis were named to the LSC All-Tournament Team, while Anna Arceneaux earned All-LSC Honorable Mention and LSC All-Freshman Team honors.

• Arceneaux returns for her sophomore season after a standout freshman campaign. She earned All-Lone Star Conference Honorable Mention, LSC All-Freshman Team and LSC Freshman of the Week honors during the 2025 season. She finished the year with 426 digs and averaged 4.79 digs per set, ranking among the top defensive players in the conference.

• Head coach Lyndsay Mashe is in her 11th season at UT Tyler and owns a 195-86 record with the Patriots. In 21 seasons as a head coach, Mashe has compiled a 387-208 career record. She returns alongside assistant coach Kris Mashe and graduate assistant Paola Fragalle for the 2026 season.

WEST TEXAS A&M

West Texas A&M enters the matchup with a 10-9 overall record and a 5-3 mark in Lone Star Conference play, riding a three-match winning streak. The Lady Buffs are hitting .189 as a team with 915 kills through 19 matches. West Texas A&M has also recorded 89 service aces, 1,164 digs and 168.0 total blocks on the season. The Lady Buffs are averaging 12.0 kills and 11.2 assists per set while allowing opponents 12.4 kills and 11.6 assists per set. Defensively, West Texas A&M is averaging 15.3 digs and 2.2 blocks per set, compared to opponents' averages of 14.1 digs and 2.0 blocks per set. The Lady Buffs have also committed 81 reception errors while holding opponents to 89. The Patriots hold a historical record of 3-12 against the Lady Buffs.

EASTERN NEW MEXICO

Eastern New Mexico enters the matchup with a 7-12 overall record and a 3-5 mark in Lone Star Conference play, coming off a loss in its most recent match. The Greyhounds are hitting .175 as a team with 961 kills through 19 matches. Eastern New Mexico has also recorded 122 service aces, 1,099 digs and 113.0 total blocks on the season. The Greyhounds are averaging 12.6 kills and 11.2 assists per set while allowing opponents 11.4 kills and 10.3 assists per set. Defensively, Eastern New Mexico is averaging 14.5 digs and 1.5 blocks per set, compared to opponents' averages of 13.7 digs and 2.0 blocks per set. The Greyhounds have also recorded 42 solo blocks and 142 block assists while committing 115 reception errors. Historically, the Patriots are 6-0 against the Greyhounds, with their first matchup coming in 2019.