LAST TIME OUT

UT Tyler volleyball enters this week's matches with a 16-4 record after splitting a pair of Lone Star Conference matchups at home last week.

The Patriots opened the week with a four-set loss to West Texas A&M on Friday night at the Herrington Patriot Center, falling 25-21, 25-16, 12-25 and 25-18. UT Tyler finished with 43 kills on a .150 hitting percentage while recording 43 digs and 12 total blocks. Kailey Manes led the defensive effort at the net with seven block assists while adding eight kills without committing an attack error. Miley Myers paced the Patriots offensively with 10 kills, while Makhai Lewis contributed six kills and four total blocks. After dropping the first two sets, UT Tyler responded with a dominant third-set performance, limiting the Buffaloes to just 12 points. However, West Texas A&M regained control in the fourth set to secure the conference victory.

UT Tyler bounced back in impressive fashion on Saturday afternoon, earning a 3-0 sweep of Eastern New Mexico by scores of 25-9, 25-21 and 25-16. The victory moved the Patriots to 16-4 overall and 7-3 in Lone Star Conference play. UT Tyler dominated the opening set, recording 13 kills without an attack error while hitting .520 as a team and holding the Greyhounds to a -.152 hitting percentage. The Patriots finished the match with 38 kills and a .313 hitting percentage, while limiting Eastern New Mexico to 24 kills and a -.025 mark. UT Tyler also held a 9-2 advantage in total blocks and recorded 53 digs. Myers led the offense with 10 kills while hitting .455, and Maya Jones added seven kills on a .462 hitting percentage. Lewis also contributed seven kills while hitting .500, while Autumn Perry recorded nine kills, eight digs and four total blocks. Riley Clinton paced the offense with 29 assists, and Kaitlyn Davis led the defensive effort with 13 digs. After overcoming an eight-point deficit in the second set, the Patriots rallied to take the frame 25-21 before closing out the sweep with a 25-16 victory in the third.

The Patriots will look to carry their momentum into their next home matchup against St. Mary's on Tuesday at the Herrington Patriot Center. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. as UT Tyler continues Lone Star Conference play.

PATS STATS

Through 20 matches, UT Tyler has received contributions throughout its lineup, led offensively by Maya Jones. Jones leads the Patriots with 148 kills and is averaging 2.28 kills per set while hitting .246. Melanie Merrill has added 142 kills, averaging 2.18 kills per set while hitting .242, while Autumn Perry has recorded 143 kills and is averaging 2.75 kills per set. Kailey Manes has contributed 124 kills and leads the Patriots' primary attackers with a .374 hitting percentage. Sydney Atkinson has added 117 kills, while Miley Myers has recorded 84 kills in 12 matches and leads the team with 2.80 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. Kaitlyn Davis has added 137 digs, while Mia Cross has recorded 126 digs. At the net, Makhai Lewis leads UT Tyler with 78 total blocks, including 10 solo blocks and 68 block assists. Manes has contributed 71 total blocks, including seven solo blocks and 64 block assists, while Perry has added 22 total blocks.

Riley Clinton has directed the Patriots' offense with 370 assists, averaging 5.29 assists per set, while Kate Christiansen has added 155 assists and is averaging 4.56 assists per set. Ava Collins has contributed 170 assists in 12 matches, averaging 4.72 assists per set, giving the Patriots multiple options to lead the offense. Cross leads the team with 30 service aces, while Davis has added 26 and Lewis has recorded 20.

PATS 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 196-87 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.

ST. MARY'S

St. Mary's enters the matchup with a 10-10 overall record and a 3-7 mark in Lone Star Conference play, riding a four-match losing streak. The Rattlers are hitting .227 as a team with 1,032 kills through 20 matches. St. Mary's has also recorded 162 service aces, 1,142 digs and 158.0 total blocks on the season. The Rattlers are averaging 12.3 kills and 11.3 assists per set while allowing opponents 11.6 kills and 10.9 assists per set. Defensively, St. Mary's is averaging 13.6 digs and 1.9 blocks per set, compared to opponents' averages of 13.9 digs and 1.5 blocks per set. The Rattlers have committed 155 reception errors while opponents have recorded 162. The Patriots hold a historical record of 5-3 against the Rattlers.

SUL ROSS STATE

Sul Ross State enters the matchup with a 1-20 overall record and a 1-10 mark in conference play, coming off a win in its most recent match. The Lobos are hitting .099 as a team with 619 kills through 21 matches. Sul Ross State has also recorded 66 service aces, 909 digs and 88.0 total blocks on the season. The Lobos are averaging 8.8 kills and 8.3 assists per set while allowing opponents 13.5 kills and 12.3 assists per set. Defensively, Sul Ross State is averaging 13.0 digs and 1.3 blocks per set, compared to opponents' averages of 14.8 digs and 2.1 blocks per set. The Lobos have committed 157 reception errors while opponents have recorded 66. Historically, the Patriots have a record of 18-3 against the Lobos, with their first matchup coming in 2003.

WESTERN NEW MEXICO

Western New Mexico enters the matchup with a 13-9 overall record and a 7-4 mark in Lone Star Conference play, coming off a loss in its most recent match. The Mustangs are hitting .219 as a team with 963 kills through 22 matches. Western New Mexico has also recorded 126 service aces, 1,115 digs and 188.0 total blocks on the season. The Mustangs are averaging 11.9 kills and 10.7 assists per set while allowing opponents 11.8 kills and 10.7 assists per set. Defensively, Western New Mexico is averaging 13.8 digs and 2.3 blocks per set, compared to opponents' averages of 13.4 digs and 1.7 blocks per set. The Mustangs have committed 142 reception errors while opponents have recorded 126. The Patriots are undefeated historically against the Mustangs with a 5-0 record.