DENTON, Texas (Nov. 6, 2026) - The Texas Woman's volleyball team opened Friday evening's contest with a two-set advantage but was unable to hold off a UT Tyler comeback, falling 3-2 at Kitty Magee Arena.
The Pioneers (10-16, 7-9) recorded 60 kills on a .226 hitting percentage while adding 54 assists and 63 digs in the five-set battle. UT Tyler (22-4, 13-3) finished with 71 kills on a .250 hitting percentage and held a 78-63 advantage in digs.
TWU established early control, claiming the opening two sets behind a balanced offensive attack to take a 2-0 match lead. The Patriots responded in the third set, finding their offensive rhythm to cut the deficit to one. UT Tyler carried that momentum into the fourth set, evening the match at two sets apiece before completing the reverse sweep with a 15-13 victory in the deciding fifth set.
Despite the setback, the Pioneers pushed one of the conference's top teams to five sets and demonstrated their competitiveness throughout the contest. The loss snapped TWU's three-match winning streak as the Pioneers now turn their attention to their final match of the regular season.
PRIME PERFORMERS
KEY MOMENTS
Set One: TWU opened the match with a strong offensive performance, recording 13 kills while hitting .200. The Pioneers maintained control throughout the frame and held UT Tyler to a .188 hitting percentage. TWU closed out the opening set with a 25-22 victory to take an early 1-0 lead.
Set Two: The Pioneers continued to build momentum in a competitive second set, recording 18 kills on a .261 hitting percentage. TWU battled through a tightly contested frame, ultimately securing a 27-25 victory to take a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match.
Set Four: TWU recorded 16 kills and hit .355, however, UT Tyler earned a 25-19 victory to even the match at two sets apiece and force a deciding fifth set.
Set Five: With the match on the line, both teams battled through a competitive final frame. TWU recorded six kills while hitting .250 and remained within striking distance. UT Tyler ultimately edged the Pioneers 15-13 to complete the reverse sweep and claim the five-set victory.
UP NEXT
The Pioneers close out the regular season Saturday, Nov. 7, hosting UT Dallas at Kitty Magee Arena for Senior Day. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Denton, Texas, as TWU honors their senior class and looks to finish the regular season with a victory on their home court.
-PIONEERS-
