DENTON, Texas (Oct. 23, 2016) – Texas Woman's University fell to Tarleton State in three sets by the same score each time (17-25, 17-25, 17-25) Saturday afternoon inside Kitty Magee Arena in Lone Star Conference action.
 
Sara Oxford recorded a team-high nine kills, one shy of a double-double to go along with 10 digs. Courtney Noel added eight kills and Kerstin Jenkins had seven for the Pioneers (7-15, 3-10 LSC).
 
A kill on a slide from Oxford tied set one at 4-4 before the TexAnns (18-4, 10-3 LSC) answered with three straight kills. A TSU kill and block extended the lead to 16-11, but the Pioneers made a run while trailing 19-13 as Noel and Jenkins delivered kills, and Katy Ranes placed two serves short and then long for a pair of service aces to pull TWU to within 19-17. Hailey Roberts from TSU then went to work by throwing down four kills during a 6-0 TexAnn run to end the frame.
 
Haley Collins knotted the second set at two apiece on a kill, but two TWU errors turned the favor towards the TexAnns. TSU grew a 10-6 lead, but kills by Jenkins and Noel along with a block by Collins and Oxford tied the set at 11-11. The TexAnns took advantage of three Pioneer errors to go ahead 17-12, but TWU was able to sneak within three after a kill by Akins. A kill by Jenkins made it a 20-16 set, but four straight points by the TexAnns placed the set at match point before a final kill gave TSU a 2-0 match lead.
 
The TexAnns opened set three on a 4-1 run, but a block by Ranes and Noel along with a kill by Akins tied the set at 6-all. Four straight points handed TSU a 10-6 advantage until a kill by Noel and an ace by Makayla Mayfield cut the deficit in half. The TexAnns slowly grew a 21-14 lead until Jenkins delivered a kill. Three straight points by TSU placed match point up until the TexAnns notched a kill to conclude the match.
 
The Pioneers gear up for a match against Texas A&M-Commerce Tuesday at 7 p.m.