DENTON, Texas (Sept. 30, 2023) – For the second time this season, the Texas Woman's volleyball team swept UT Permian Basin.
 
After sweeping the Falcons in a nonconference match on Sept. 16, TWU (11-4, 3-1) met UTPB (10-4, 1-2) in a Lone Star Conference match on Saturday and defeated the Falcons in three straight sets.
 
"It was so fun to be back in KMA today in front of an awesome Saturday crowd," TWU Head Coach Jeff Huebner said. "Our players delivered a dynamic performance that was well-rounded. Grace and Kiana did a fantastic job of running the offense and getting all of our hitters in great situations. Tori had her best match of the year and continues to be a leader in every way. Luna was a treat for KMA today, defensively and in serve receive. We're so excited for Pack The House this Wednesday at 6 p.m. and are looking forward to seeing all of Pioneer Nation!"
 
The back-to-back wins against UTPB in 2023 marks the first time TWU has defeated the Falcons in back-to-back meetings since the 2017 season. With the win, the Pioneers improve to 3-1 in LSC action – their best start to conference play since 2015.
 
After being on the road for the past six matches, the Pioneers returned home in exciting fashion. In the three set win, TWU hit .278 on the match – their fourth highest match hitting percentage of 2023. The Pioneers currently rank third in the LSC in hitting percentage and 29th in Division II, averaging .243 on the season.
 
With 46 kills in the match, the Pioneers were led by Tori Woods, who finished the afternoon with a match high 10 kills and hit .476. The middles – Cara Pool and Kady Hansen – also dominated the offensive attack for TWU, adding nine kills each. Pool, who hit .316 on the day, still ranks second in the LSC and 18th in Division II with a .386 season hitting percentage. Joining her in the top 10 in hitting percentage in the LSC is Hansen, who's hitting .369 on the season, which ranks fifth in the LSC and 40th in Division II.
 
The trio of Grace Reynolds, Kiana Reed and Luna França set the Pioneers up for success against the Falcons. The Pioneers currently average 12.63 assists per set, which ranks fourth in the LSC. Reynolds led the charge for TWU in the assist category, finishing the afternoon with a match high 21 assists – her eighth match with 20 or more assists. Kiana Reed added 11 assists to maintain her streak of double-digit assists in every match this season. With nine assists, França recorded a season high mark in the win.
 
França also stepped up for the Pioneers on defense, diving all over KMA, to record a match high 21 digs. Along with França, Woods also made a big impact in multiple categories in the match. With 13 digs on the day, Woods celebrated her fourth double-double of the season with kills and digs. Matching her number of assists, Kiana Reed kept her stat line mirrored, finishing the afternoon with 11 digs to record her seventh double-double of the season.
 
On Saturday, the Pioneers were truly serving up success the entire match. Coming into the match, UTPB topped the Pioneers in the service ace category. In the win, TWU connected on a season-high 11 aces to UTPB's four. With the dominating day, the Pioneers moved to third in the LSC in aces, just above UTPB in fourth, as TWU averages 1.75 aces per set. Woods, who brought the intensity in all areas for TWU, led the perfect serve category with a season high four aces. Eduarda Dutra added three aces on the day, while França matched her season high of two aces in the win.  
 
Reynolds, who currently ranks third in the LSC in service aces, averaging 0.41 per set, added one ace to the Pioneers' stats. Also ranked in the top 10 in the LSC, Kiana Reed finished the day with one ace. She currently averages 0.38 aces per set to rank seventh in the LSC.
 
In the opening set, the Pioneers took a few points to settle into their groove. After trading points with the Falcons to start the set, a kill by Kaia Saylor ignited a 5-0 run for the Pioneers. Then, a kill by Pool closed the run, giving TWU the 16-8 advantage. After going up 19-11, the Falcons found some life to score five unanswered points of their own to come within three, 19-16.
 
Kiana Reed set Hansen for a run-ending kill to push the Pioneers back ahead by four, 20-16. The score went back-and-forth in KMA with the Pioneers still controlling the energy. Back-to-back points by Woods on a kill and an ace set up set point for TWU, 24-19. A UTPB service error gave the Pioneers the set one win, 25-20, and put the Pioneers ahead early in the match, 1-0.
 
TWU continued to ride the momentum of the first set win into the second set, opening with an 8-1 lead. TWU would never trail in the second set. Late in the set, UTPB would score four straight points to come within three, 22-19; nevertheless, the Pioneers stayed focused and locked in. In response to UTPB's run, TWU silenced the Falcons' momentum with three straight points to win set two, 25-19, and take the commanding 2-0 match lead.
 
Looking to close the match in set three, the Pioneers ignited the crowd and kept the energy high in KMA. Three straight kills from Malia Viernes gave TWU the two point advantage early, 8-6. UTPB would tie it a nine, and the Pioneers answered with a 3-0 run to reclaim the lead 12-9. TWU would never trail and never be tied from that point on. A kill by Woods put the Pioneers two points away from completing the sweep, 23-16. Finally, back-to-back errors by UTPB closed the set for TWU, 25-24, and cemented the sweep in three sets.

Hear from Tori Woods and Cara Pool after the win against UTPB in their post match interview here. 
 
TWU will stay home for their next match on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The Pioneers will face Eastern New Mexico at 6 p.m. in KMA.