MAGNOLIA, ARK. – UT Tyler volleyball capped off a perfect weekend at the Mulerider Invitational on Saturday, earning a pair of wins over LeMoyne-Owen and Southern Arkansas to move to 4-0 on the young season. The Patriots' 4-0 start is their first since the 2023 season.
The Patriots began the day with a dominant 3-0 sweep of LeMoyne-Owen by scores of 25-13, 25-13 and 25-14 before battling back from a first-set setback against tournament host Southern Arkansas to win the final three sets, 27-29, 25-14, 25-15 and 25-20.
LeMOYNE-OWEN
UT Tyler and LeMoyne-Owen battled through the opening points of the first set, with the Patriots holding a 2-1 advantage before the Magicians pulled even at 2-2. UT Tyler then began to create separation, using a service ace from Faith Wilkins and a kill from Autumn Perry to build a 7-2 lead.
The Patriots continued to pressure LeMoyne-Owen at the service line and at the net, eventually stretching their advantage to 11-5. After the Magicians answered with a short run, UT Tyler regained control and pushed the lead to 17-10.
The Patriots continued to capitalize on LeMoyne-Owen errors while Merrill and Atkinson provided kills offensively. UT Tyler closed the opening frame on a 6-1 run to take the first set, 25-13.
The second set followed a similar script, with the two teams battling through the opening points before UT Tyler began to pull away. The Patriots got a 10-4 advantage before extending the lead to 17-5 behind a dominant service run from Kaitlyn Davis.
Davis helped fuel the surge with two aces, while UT Tyler's offense continued to find holes in the LeMoyne-Owen defense. The Patriots pushed their advantage to 23-10 and eventually closed out the set, 25-13.
The third set was competitive early, with the Magicians tying the set at 6-6 before the Patriots took control later going on a 10-1 run to make it 19-10. UT Tyler continued to pile on from there, using a combination of kills, service pressure and LeMoyne-Owen errors to finish off the sweep.
Merrill led the Patriots offensively with nine kills on 15 attacks while hitting .533, while Robbins added six kills on nine attacks for a .667 hitting percentage. UT Tyler hit .296 as a team, totaling 38 kills on 81 attacks while adding 35 digs and 11 aces. Clinton and Collins each recorded 13 assists, while Anna Arceneaux led the defensive effort with 12 digs.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
The Patriots then faced tournament host Southern Arkansas, with the two teams trading runs throughout a marathon opening set.
Southern Arkansas jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Patriots briefly jumped to a 4-3 advantage before the Muleriders responded with a run to take a 9-5 lead.
Southern Arkansas continued to maintain its advantage, pushing the lead to 14-10 before the Patriots began to battle back. UT Tyler answered with three straight points, including kills from Autumn Perry and a service ace from Makhai Lewis, to trail by one.
The two teams continued to trade points from there, with neither side able to create significant separation. The Patriots would go on another run to tie the set back up at 20 following a kill from Perry.
The teams continued trading points deep into extra points. UT Tyler took a 26-25 lead after a kill from Cross, but Southern Arkansas answered with four of the next five points. The Muleriders ultimately closed out the marathon set, 29-27.
Rather than allowing the loss to carry over, the Patriots responded with one of their most dominant sets of the weekend.
UT Tyler opened the second set with a 9-2 run, sparked by a pair of service aces from Mia Cross and kills from Perry, Lewis and Merrill. The Patriots continued to apply pressure, extending the advantage to 12-4 before Southern Arkansas could slow the momentum.
The Patriots kept their foot on the gas, pushing the lead to 20-12 before closing the set on a 5-2 run. Collins helped finish the frame with a kill, while the UT Tyler defense continued to force Southern Arkansas into difficult situations. The Patriots evened the match with a 25-14 win.
UT Tyler carried that momentum into the third set, turning an 8-8 tie into a 12-8 lead with a four-point run. The Patriots then continued to separate themselves, scoring five straight points to move ahead 17-9.
Perry and Merrill helped lead the offensive attack during the stretch, while the Patriots continued to capitalize on Southern Arkansas errors. UT Tyler eventually built a 21-12 advantage and closed out the set, 25-15, moving within one set of completing the comeback.
The fourth set featured another early battle, but the Patriots eventually took control with a 4-0 run that turned a 4-4 tie into a 8-4 advantage. UT Tyler continued to lead throughout the middle portion of the set.
Southern Arkansas attempted to make one final push late, cutting the deficit to 19-16, but the Patriots answered with a decisive run of their own, where a couple of errors from the Muleriders finished off the comeback the Patriots took the fourth set, 25-20, completing the 3-1 victory.
Merrill led the Patriots with 16 kills while hitting .419, while Perry added 14 kills and hit .323. Manes contributed eight kills, and Jones finished with five. Clinton directed the offense with 31 assists, while Collins added 16. Arceneaux posted a team-high 22 digs, Cross added 11 and Lewis contributed six digs and two solo blocks. As a team, UT Tyler recorded 53 kills, 52 assists and 72 digs while hitting .226.
With the two victories, UT Tyler finishes the Mulerider Invitational undefeated and moves to 4-0 for the first time since the 2023 season. The Patriots will return to action on September 3, opening the Reddie-Tiger Invitational against Ouachita Baptist.
