TYLER, Texas - Senior Tabitha Spray dished out a team-high 24 assists, while both Sydney Stroh and Abbie Sprague hit double figures in digs with 14 and 10 respectively, but the Texas Woman's University volleyball team (3-6, 3-6 Lone Star Conference) was unable to slow the offensive attack of No. 18 UT-Tyler (11-0, 11-0), dropping a 3-0 decision to the Patriots on Tuesday at the Herrington Patriot Center.

The Pioneers opened the first set on a hot streak, jumping out to a 6-2 lead. The Patriots chipped away at the TWU advantage gradually, knotting the set at 16-16 after three consecutive kills. TWU briefly took the lead back on a kill by Elizabeth Ugbaja, but the Patriots claimed their first lead of the set at 18-17. The teams traded leads until the Patriots broke the stalemate with back-to-back points to take a 22-20 advantage, and after another Ugbaja kill brought TWU back to within one, the Patriots closed out the set with three straight kills to take the opener 25-21. 

UT Tyler jumped ahead early in the second set, taking a 10-6 advantage, but four straight points by the Pioneers knotted the set at 10-10. However, after the set was tied again at 11-11, the Patriots claimed nine of the next 11 points to take a 20-13 advantage. TWU reeled off five consecutive points to pull to within 20-18, but back-to-back kills by the Patriots gave UT Tyler a four-point advantage. TWU scored three of the next four, punctuated by back-to-back kills by Stroh and Monica Wood to pull to within 23-21, but the Patriots claimed the final two points of the set to go up 2-0 in the match after a 25-21 win. 

The third set saw the Patriots claim momentum early and the Pioneers were unable to close the gap down the stretch, as UT Tyler claimed the match after a 25-11 win in the third set. 

Kaia Saylor led TWU with nine kills, while Wood added four kills and five blocks. 

The Pioneers and UT Tyler conclude their two-game set with a 6 p.m. contest on Wednesday.