For the third straight season UT Permian Basin Volleyball will be heading to the Lone Star Conference Playoffs after sweeping Lubbock Christian on the road. The Falcons needed back-to-back wins over the Lady Chaps to get into the postseason and did so with a four-set win last night, and a four-set win on Wednesday.
Leading the way once again was
Analise Lucio with a huge game. The junior had 36 assists and a team-high 27 digs in the rout.
Isela Murillo had a dominant game on the attack with 17 kills and 17 digs. Four Falcons finished in double digit digs with
Daylee Doggett adding 21 and
Lanai Hurd finishing with 17.
"The two matches were huge, the girls knew we needed two wins coming into the week and played their best volleyball of the season," said Head Coach
Tim Loesch. "We're peaking at the right time. We've improved all season and even though our record doesn't show it we've played well. To do what we did playing a team on the road with the postseason on the line isn't easy. They went out and played for each other and it paid off."
Things started back-and-forth in the first set. The Falcons looked to pull away with a 5-0 run and after a 4-1 run led the set by five. The Lady Chaps didn't back down and after an extended run took a 22-18 lead. Back-to-back Lady Chap errors followed by back-to-back Doggett aces tied the score late in the set, but the Lady Chaps closed it out taking the final three points and the set 25-22.
The Falcons trailed early in the second set falling behind 6-3. A 7-2 run including a pair of blocks by
Aquincia Strambler and
Cassandra Rother put the Falcons in front by two. The Falcons continued to swing the momentum with a 5-0 run including a pair of kills from
Isela Murillo. With the momentum the Falcons didn't let up and took the set 25-20.
Set three was another back-and-forth affair until the Falcons completely took over late. Neither team led by more than two points until a three-point run by the Falcons. The Lady Chaps battled back and tied the score at 16, which is where the Falcons took control. Three forced errors and a Strambler kill started a Falcon rally as they finished the set on a 9-1 run, taking it 25-17. Defense was the story as the Falcons forced seven errors to go with two Strambler kills.
Knowing they were just one set away from going to their third straight LSC postseason the Falcons continued the momentum into the fourth set. Trailing by a point, the Falcons took control with six straight points including kills by Strambler, Rother, and
Taurie Magee. The Lady Chaps trimmed the Falcon lead to as little as three, but that's as close as they would get as the Falcons cruised to a 25-17 set win.
The Falcons will travel to either Arkansas Fort Smith or Midwestern State depending on the winner of the LSC North Division. Download the UTPB Athletics App for more information on the Lone Star Conference Tournament when it is announced.
