box score
 
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin dug up 90 balls and hit .227 for the match as the Falcons took a 3-1 (31-33, 25-22, 25-20, 25-21) win over Dallas Baptist to improve to 1-1 in Heartland Conference play. 
 
Danae Eckart seemed to be all over the court as she picked up a match-high 33 digs, marking the second time this season she has surpassed the 30-dig barrier.  While Eckart was key to the Falcon defense, three players tallied double-digit kills with Melissa Lusk leading the way with 18.  Heather Sanchez established a career-high with 16 kills, while Jamie Rodell recorded a season-high with 15, one away from tying a career-best.  Sanchez registered her first double-double of the season as she collected 13 digs respectively. 
 
The first set saw both teams exchanging points with neither taking more than a two point advantage until Erika Papadeas gave the Patriots a 24-22 edge.  Prior to the kills, the set was tied on 12 different occasions.  Trailing 24-22, Alex Genung's kill made it 24-23 before an attack error by Dallas Baptist tied the set at 24.  Papadeas gave the Patriots match point once again with one of her three kills in the set, but an Eckart dig sailed over the net and hit the ground in play on the DBU side for a Falcon point.  Ironically, it was Eckart's only kill of the afternoon. 
 
An attack error by UTPB gave the Patriots set point for the third time (27-26), but Rodell would tie the match for a 16^th time with her sixth kill of the set.  Genung would give the Falcons a 31-30 edge and match point for the first time with one of her four kills in the match, but back-to-back hitting errors and a ball handling error by UTPB gave Dallas Baptist the set victory. 
 
In the second set, the Falcons trailed just once when Christina Steinkrger scored the first point of the set with a kill down the line.  Two-straight points by the Falcons gave them the lead for good, including a 17-9 advantage after an attack error by Clair Stephens. 
 
Four-straight points by the Patriots kept the set close, bring them within four (13-17), but Sanchez stopped the momentum with a cross-court kill.  Dallas Baptist would use another run to pull within one (21-20), but back-to-back kills by Sanchez and Lusk all but sealed the set for the Falcons.  They would go on to win the second 25-22 and tie the match at one set each. 
 
Dallas Baptist jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the third set thanks to five kills and an attack error by UTPB, but the Falcons would eventually tie it at seven on a Martha Gonzalez kill.  They would finally take the lead for good when attack error by Stephens gave UTPB a 10-9 edge.  The Falcons hit .312 for the set, collecting 13 kills with just three errors. 
 
The fourth set saw the two teams exchange points for most of the set until a kill by Steinkrger gave the Patriots a 20-18 advantage.  The Falcons battled back, outscoring DBU 7-1 the rest of the way to pick up the victory. 
 
The Falcons improved to 7-5 overall and will step out of conference for a match against Lubbock Christian on Monday at 7 p.m. in Lubbock.