ANCHORAGE, Ala. (Aug. 28, 2026) – In the second day of the Seawolf Invitational, Texas Woman's battled No. 16 Alaska Fairbanks.
After falling in the first two sets, TWU (0-3) stormed back to win sets three and four to force a set five. After a back-and-forth final set, Alaska (5-1) closed the set with two straight points to win, 3-2.
Across the five sets, the Pioneers recorded a season high 18 blocks, 96 digs and 56 assists.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Gracie Erichsen led all players with a career high 21 kills and a career high .419 hitting percentage.
- Mary Grace King added her third straight double-double of the season. She finished the match with 13 kills and a career high 18 digs. Lorena Gómez also finished with her third straight double-double of the season, recording 31 assists and 12 digs.
- Bailey Black dished out 14 assists – a career high.
- Montserrat Soto-Talavera displayed a strong defensive performance, closing the match with a career high 10 blocks. Charlise Smith also added a career high five blocks for the Pioneers, and Teagan Hill finished with a career high four blocks. Along with Hill, King also recorded a career high four blocks.
- Alyssa Rojo led TWU with 24 digs. Bird Moffitt also added a career high 17 digs across the five sets.
KEY MOMENTS
- Explosive Set 1 Launch: TWU surged out of the gate with a 6–0 opening run, powered by a pair of kills from Erichsen and a combined block by Hill and Trinity Blackwood.
- Black's Serving Spark: Trailing early in Set 1, Black ignited a 4–0 run with a service ace and set up two Erichsen kills to push TWU ahead 11–3.
- Marathon Set 2 Resilience: In a back-and-forth second set featuring 21 ties and 11 lead changes, TWU repeatedly fended off set points—including clutch kills by Soto-Talavera and Smith—before narrowly dropping the set 29–27.
- Set 3 Clutch Extra-Points Finish: Down 24–23 late in Set 3, TWU fended off set point with an Erichsen kill, followed by an Alaska attack error forced by Black's serve to seal a thrilling 26–24 victory.
- Set 4 Wall at the Net: Trailing 19–16 in the fourth, TWU's block dominated a crucial 5–0 run—highlighted by consecutive monster blocks from Soto-Talavera and Smith—to flip the lead to 20–19 and pave the way to a 25–22 set win.
- Fifth-Set Grit: TWU erased a late 11–9 deficit in the decider behind a King kill and a forced ball-handling error to tie it 11–11 before Alaska Fairbanks squeaked out the 15–13 final.
NEXT UP
The Pioneers continue their action on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Seawolf Invitational. They will meet Chico State at 12 p.m. CST.
-PIONEERS-
