UT Permian Basin opened its 2016 season Friday in Goodwell, Okla. with a 3-0 sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma State University 25-16, 25-20, 25-21. The Falcons rallied two hours later against Missouri Southern State to win the fourth and fifth sets in a 22-25, 25-20, 16-25, 25-17, 15-10 victory.

The Falcons hit .265 as a team in the opening set and .212 in the match against NWOSU while holding the Rangers to just .074 on the morning.

Travanna Matthews led UTPB hitting .545 with six kills on 11 attempts with no errors, while Rachel Dixon and Caitlyn Guajardo each had a team-best eight winning attacks.

UTPB out-dug the Rangers 49-40 and were led by Sarah Vasquez's 16 with 12 from Jordan McDonald.

After falling behind 2-1 following a 16-25 third set loss against Missouri Southern, UTPB rallied to break a 6-6 tie in the fourth set with a seven point run to go on top 13-6 that featured a pair of blocks and two kills from Guajardo.

The Falcons scored five more points in a row to reach set point and won the fourth set three points later on another kill from Guajardo.

UTPB came from trailing 2-0 in the fifth to later win six of seven points, racing ahead to a 6-3 lead with a pair of kills by Charlesia Jones. After the Lions closed back within a pair of points at 11-9, UTPB rattled off the next three points, and won the match on a block by Dixon and Margje Damstra for the 15-10 fifth set win.

UTPB hit .151 to .109 for the match, rallying to hit .308 and .273 in the final two sets, committing just five combined errors on 48 attempts.

Travanna Matthews led UTPB with 11 kills while Guajardo added 10. Vasquez once again led the team with 13 digs, and Kiera Granado had 20 assists to lead all Falcons.

UTPB continues action in the two-day event Saturday, taking on Fort Hays State and hosts Oklahoma Panhandle State.