SILVER CITY, N.M. – UT Tyler volleyball earned a hard-fought five-set victory over Western New Mexico on Saturday, rallying after dropping the third and fourth sets to secure a 3-2 Lone Star Conference road win at Drag's Court. The Patriots won by scores of 25-21, 25-14, 22-25, 16-25 and 15-9 to improve to 19-4 overall and 10-3 in conference play.
The Patriots opened the match with a strong first set, overcoming an early deficit to take control. With the score tied at 6-6, UT Tyler began to build momentum and moved in front behind a series of kills from Kailey Manes and Miley Myers. The Patriots maintained their advantage through the middle of the set and created separation late, taking a 22-19 lead before closing out the frame, 25-21.
UT Tyler carried that momentum into the second set, using a decisive scoring run to take command. With the set tied at 10-10, the Patriots scored five straight points and continued to extend their lead. Strong serving and defensive pressure helped UT Tyler pull away, and the Patriots closed the set with a 25-14 win to move within one set of the match.
Western New Mexico responded in the third set, turning a close contest into a late advantage. The teams traded points through the early stages before the Mustangs created separation with a run that put them ahead 17-12. UT Tyler worked to close the gap and trimmed the deficit late, but Western New Mexico held on to take the set, 25-22.
The Mustangs carried that momentum into the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. UT Tyler battled to regain ground, but Western New Mexico kept the Patriots from mounting a full comeback and forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-16 victory.
In the fifth, UT Tyler responded with its most efficient offensive set of the match. The Patriots recorded 10 kills without an error on 25 attempts, hitting .400 to finish the match strong. After the teams traded points early, UT Tyler built separation and maintained control down the stretch to secure the 15-9 set win and the match.
Manes led the Patriots with 14 kills while hitting .538 and added seven total blocks. Myers finished with a team-high 16 kills, while Melanie Merrill contributed 13 kills. Riley Clinton paced the offense with 48 assists, and Anna Arceneaux led the defensive effort with 16 digs. UT Tyler totaled 58 kills, 75 digs, five service aces and nine total blocks in the victory.
The Patriots will continue Lone Star Conference play as they return to action next week.
