ODESSA, Texas (Nov. 12, 2016) – The 2016 season came to an end for Texas Woman's University with a marathon five-set loss (25-19, 26-24, 23-25, 23-25, 20-22) to UT Permian Basin Saturday inside the Falcon Dome where Sara Oxford set a TWU record with 36 kills in her final match as a Pioneer and recorded her 14^th double-double on the year with 10 digs.
 
The Pioneers (9-20, 5-15 LSC) needed the win against the Falcons (8-22, 4-16 LSC) to continue their season and secure the eighth place spot in next week's conference tournament. In spite of the loss, Oxford wrote her name in the record books with her 36-kill performance, breaking Michelle Murray's mark of 35 set Oct. 27, 1995, against Missouri Southern. Oxford's accomplishment is the second best output in a five-set match this season in all of Division II and the fourth best showing amongst all three NCAA Divisions. Two other Pioneers also concluded the season on a high note. Katy Ranes totaled a career-high 56 assists and her sixth double-double on the season, while Bailey French collected a career-best 21 digs.
 
TWU broke a 3-3 tie in set one on two UTPB errors, an Emma Petolick service ace and a block by Haley Collins and Sara Oxford. A kill by Oxford from the middle extended the lead to 10-4 before the Falcons closed to within 15-12. A kill by Anna McGee down the line and an ace by French put the Pioneers up 23-19 before Collins sent a kill off of a back row defender and Oxford and Briley Cole shut down a UTPB attack at the net for the set one win.
 
A 4-0 run by UTPB in the second set gave the Falcons an 8-4 advantage, and a Pioneer attack error increased the lead to 12-7. A block by Courtney Noel and Cole tied the frame at 13-all, but UTPB again climbed ahead at 20-17. A trio of kills by Oxford and McGee knotted the score at 20-20, and the Pioneers stood at set point, 24-22, but the Falcons registered a kill and Oxford recorded her first attack error after 16 straight kills to tie the frame at 24-24. UTPB then served up an error and finished with an attack error to put the Pioneers up 2-0 in the match.
 
Five straight points by TWU in set three broke a 5-5 tie before the Falcons pulled to within 13-11. An Oxford kill and block by Collins alongside Oxford pushed the score to 15-11, but UTPB came back to tie the set at 19-all. A Falcon kill put UTPB in control at 23-21 before Oxford came through with a kill of her own, and the teams again traded kills to place the Falcons at set point, 24-23. One more UTPB kill ended the frame and TWU's bid for a sweep.
 
Ranes served up consecutive service aces in set four to give the Pioneers their first lead of the frame at 16-15. A block by Cole and kill by Noel stretched the lead to 18-15, but the Falcons reeled off five straight to go ahead 20-18. Oxford found the far corner on successive possessions to again place the set into a tie, 21-21. A slide kill by Oxford pushed the set into a deadlock at 23-all, but a Falcon kill and TWU attack error extended the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
The final frame was comprised of four lead changes and 18 ties. A kill by UTPB positioned the contest at match point, 15-14, but the Falcons tallied one of their 13 service errors on the day to keep the Pioneers alive. A block by Oxford and Cole gave TWU their shot to win at 16-15, but UTPB responded with a block from their side to knot the set. The Pioneers fended off the Falcons on four more match points up until 20-20 when UTPB recorded a block and was handed their final point on a serve that dropped onto TWU's endline.