The University of Texas of the Permian Basin volleyball team rebounded after a first set loss to take a 2-1 set lead, but dropped the final two sets of the evenining in a 17-25, 27-25, 25-22, 19-25 and 11-15 loss to Newman Thursday night in Wichita, Kan.

The Falcons came out after dropping the first set by eight points to take an 8-3 lead off a pair of kills by Keeley Brogdon. The teams alternated points for a majority of the remainder of the second set, and following three straight by UTPB to reach set points at 24-18, a six-point run by the Jets squared the set at 24-24. Kills by both teams tied it at 25-25, but a pair of blocks by the Falcons helped them to a 27-25 win in the second.

UTPB came out strong again in the third, using three different three-point stretches to help it get to an 11-6 lead early on. Newman fought back over the course of the set, scoring six points out of seven to take a 17-16 lead. UTPB fought back at the end of the set after trailing 21-18, winning three straight to tie it at 21-21, and after dropping a point, scored the last four of the set to take a 25-22 win and 2-1 overall lead.

Following a fourth set loss, the Falcons earned the first three points of the decisive fifth set behind gills from brogdon and Melissa Lusk. However, a 4-2 lead three points later was the last lead the Falcons would keep in the contest as four in a row and six of seven points won by the Jets helped them take over the fifth set, eventually winning 15-11 on a pair of kills to end the contest.

Brogdon led the Falcons with 12 kills on the night while hitting a team-best .212 on the evenining. Ariana Gallardo had a team-high 22 assists in the five-set match, and Jordan McDonald tallied 21 digs to lead all Falcons.

UTPB is back in action on the road Saturday afternoon at Oklahoma Panhandle State.