DENTON, Texas (Sept. 27, 2024) – The Texas Woman's volleyball team opened Lone Star Conference action tonight with a win over Lubbock Christian.

TWU (7-3, 1-0) defeated LCU (4-7, 0-1) in four sets. The Pioneers took an early 2-0 match lead. Then, after falling in set three, TWU responded to close out a tight set four, 28-26, to record their seventh win of the season and first in LSC play.

The Pioneers defense proved to be a big difference maker in the match, as TWU finished with 13 total blocks – their most in match since the 2022 season.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Tori Woods returned and moved back into the top spot on offense for the Pioneers. She finished the match with 16 kills and also added 14 digs. This marked her sixth double-double of the season and fourth in a row.
• Grace Reynolds continued to set the Pioneers up for success. She finished with 31 assists to lead TWU. She also recorded a team-high 15 digs to mark her fourth double-double in a row and eighth of the season.
• Malia Viernes joined Woods with double-digit kills, ending with 15 on the night to tie her career high mark.
• Erin Jones also finished with double-digit kills, recording 11 on the night.
• In the Pioneers big block party, Cara Pool led the way with a season-high six total blocks – three block assists and three solo blocks. The three solo blocks tied her career high. Kady Hansen finished with a season-high five blocks. Jones finished the match with a career-high three total blocks.

PIONEER POWER MOMENTS

• In set one, Erin Jones started off the night with a kill for TWU to take the early lead. Then, kills by Woods, Jones and Viernes would set TWU up for the early 4-1 advantage.
• After back-and-forth play, the Pioneers scored four straight following an LCU service error to jump ahead, 23-19.
• A kill by Viernes from Kiana Reed gave TWU the set point situation, and Woods closed it out with a kill also from Kiana Reed to end the set in favor of the Pioneers, 25-20.
• TWU kept their momentum in set two. A kill by Woods and an ace by Reynolds gave TWU the early start, 2-0.
• A late run ignited by Woods, which included two blocks for the Pioneers, opened the advantage for TWU, 21-17.
• Three of the last four points in set two would come from kills by Viernes, as TWU claimed the set two lead, 25-20.
• TWU never found their rhythm in set three and fell, 25-15.
• The Pioneers reignited their fire in set four and opened the set with four straight points.
• A kill by Viernes set up match point, 24-21, but the Lady Chaps continued to press, scoring four unanswered points to set up their own set point, 25-24. On two LCU errors, the Pioneers would go ahead, 26-25, before the Lady Chaps quickly tied it up 26-26.
• A kill by Woods from Luna França gave the Pioneers another match point situation. Then, as was the story of the night, a block by Woods and Pool ended the match, 28-26, for the Pioneers.

FROM HEAD COACH JESSICA RANSOM

"I'm glad to start off conference play with a win," Ransom said. "We have to clean up some things as we move forward, but, overall, I am happy with our performance tonight."

NEXT UP

Tomorrow, on Sept. 28, the Pioneers will continue their conference home stand. They will face No. 14 Angelo State at 2 p.m. in Kitty Magee Arena.