SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Sept. 10, 2026) – The Texas Woman's volleyball team battled through five sets Thursday night in its opening match of the Lone Star Conference Challenge, falling to St. Mary's inside Bill Greehey Arena.
TWU (3-6) responded after dropping the opening set by taking the next two frames and nearly closing out the match in the fourth. However, St. Mary's (6-3) rallied to take the final two sets and secure the 3-2 victory, 25-14, 17-25, 14-25, 26-24, 15-12.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers finished with 65 kills and a .240 hitting percentage, while holding St. Mary's to 55 kills and a .193 hitting percentage.
TWU also held advantages in assists, 60-54, and digs, 75-73.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Trinity Blackwood led the Pioneers offensively with 16 kills and added a team-high five blocks.
- Mary Grace King finished with 14 kills and 13 digs for a double-double.
- Gracie Erichsen added 13 kills to give TWU three players in double figures.
- Lorena Gómez directed the Pioneers offense with a team-high 30 assists while adding 13 digs.
- Alyssa Rojo anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs and added eight assists and two service aces.
- Allie Watson contributed 19 assists and two service aces.
- Teagan Hill and Montserrat Soto-Talavera each recorded three blocks.
KEY MOMENTS
Set 1 Slow Start: St. Mary's took control of the opening frame with a .417 hitting percentage. The Rattlers pulled away midway through the set and took an early match advantage with a 25-14 win.
Set 2 Pioneers Respond: TWU answered in the second set with a much stronger offensive showing. The Pioneers recorded 14 kills and hit .294 while holding St. Mary's to a .065 hitting percentage to even the match with a 25-17 victory.
Set 3 TWU Takes Control: The Pioneers carried their momentum into the third set, producing their best hitting percentage of the match at .300. TWU recorded 16 kills while holding the Rattlers to a .000 hitting percentage, cruising to a 25-14 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4 Goes Down to the Wire: TWU looked to close out the match in the fourth, but the two sides battled through a tight frame. The Pioneers registered a match-high 17 kills, but St. Mary's escaped with a 26-24 win to force a decisive fifth set.
Set 5 Decider: The Pioneers continued to battle in the final frame, hitting .240 with nine kills. St. Mary's answered with 10 kills and a .308 hitting percentage to take the deciding set, 15-12, and close out the match.
NEXT UP
The Pioneers will continue action at the Lone Star Conference Challenge on Friday, Sept. 11 against UT Tyler. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
-PIONEERS-
