Box Score

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin volleyball team rallied back after falling behind two sets to zero, winning the final three sets of the day to earn its fifth straight win to improve to .500 overall and in the Heartland Conference with a 3-2 win on the road against Texas A&M International in Laredo, Texas.

The Falcons trailed for almost the entirety of the opening set as the Dustdevils held a 10-7 lead and never led by fewer than two points the rest of the match in a 25-17 opening victory.

UTPB gave Texas A&M International a challenge in the second set, coming back after falling behind 6-3 to tie the set at 10-10. The Dustdevils pulled away over the remainder of the set, scoring five straight points to lead 15-10 and held off any UTPB advances to take a three-point second set win at 25-22. 

The Falcons got off to a better start in the third, rallying to take a 7-4 lead on a pair of TAMIU attack errors and a kill from Jamie Rodell. UT-Permian Basin went on to lead the remainder of the set, holding off Texas A&M International as it closed to within three points three times late in the set to win by eight in a 25-17 third set win. 

Both teams alternated the first 12 points of set four, but UTPB broke ahead with four straight points to lead 9-6 on a pair of kills from Keeley Brogdon. TAMIU cut the lead down to one at 14-13 and later strung together three straight points to take a 16-15 lead. Both teams played close the remainder of the set as UTPB had a chance at set point, serving at 24-23. The Dustdevils regained the serve on a kill to deadlock the fourth set at 24-24, but a service error gave the Falcons another attempt at set point, and a kill from Ryley Carman tied the match at two sets each.

UTPB had to make a comeback once again in the decisive fifth set, fighting from behind early on as TAMIU led by a pair. The Falcons distanced themselves with a six-point run in the middle of the abbreviated fifth set to take a 13-9 lead on three attack errors and a pair of service aces from Ariel Fralick. Both teams alternated the final four points of the match as a kill from Hannah Rebb closed out the UTPB comeback in a four point fifth set win.

Melissa Lusk led all UTPB players with 16 kills in the match. Brogdon and Rebb each recorded 13 and Rodell tallied 12 winners on the day. Fralick paced UTPB with 30 assists and Danae Eckart scored 30 of the Falcons 80 digs.

UTPB stays on the road this coming week, traveling for matches against Dallas Baptist and St. Edward's. Thursday night's match against DBU is scheduled for 7 p.m.