UTPB Volleyball provided stat leaders in both of Saturday's losses to Fort Lewis and Southwestern Oklahoma State. Daylee Doggett was big defensively with 16 digs in a straight-set defeat from Fort Lewis. Aquincia Strambler then led the way with a game-high 13 kills in a back-and-forth battle with Southwestern Oklahoma State.
The Falcons last played Fort Lewis in 2021 with a sweep of the Skyhawks in Canyon. They last took on Southwestern Oklahoma state in 2021, improving on what was a 3-0 loss.
UTPB led Fort Lewis 1-0 out of the gate but soon fell behind 14-5. Four straight attack errors by the Skyhawks cut the deficit to 14-9, but Fort Lewis finished the first set on an 11-2 run for a 25-11 score.
Chandra Reed opened set two with a kill before Aquincia Strambler later added her own for a 2-1 lead. Trailing 9-4, Gloria Geurin started a 5-2 run with a kill before three attack errors and a bad set made it 11-9. After a Fort Lewis kill, Strambler and Taurie Magee notched back-to-back kills before an attack error tied it at 12-12. The Skyhawks went on to hold small leads until kills from Strambler and Reed made it 17-17. Reed later cut it to 19-18 before a pair of attack errors from Fort Lewis gave the Falcons a 20-19 lead. UTPB was on the cusp of a 1-1 tie with a 23-21 advantage, but the Skyhawks finished set two on a 4-0 run for a 25-23 win.
Stephanie Sanchez gave the Falcons a 5-3 lead in set three. That soon flipped after a 5-0 answer from Fort Lewis made it 8-5. UTPB continued to trail by as many as three before a 6-0 run put them ahead three. Jenna Gray started with a kill before a service ace from Devin Alcoser cut it to one. Netanya Allison then tied it at 11-11 with a kill. Strambler followed with a kill for the lead before an attack error and another ace from Alcoser put the Falcons ahead 14-11. UTPB held the advantage until the Skyhawks knotted the third set at 17-17. A Fort Lewis service error then gave the Falcons the lead again. This started a 4-0 run that ended with back-to-back kills from Daylee Doggett and Magee before Jadyn Gillespie served an ace for a 21-17 advantage. The Skyhawks proved to be formidable later in sets, finishing the third on an 8-1 run for the 25-22 win and sweep.
Strambler led all Falcons with eight kills. Magee was close behind with seven.
Alcoser had team-highs with 16 assists and two aces. She also added seven digs.
Doggett finished with a game-high 16 digs.
Strambler opened the second match with a kill before the Falcons fell behind 4-1 in the early goings. UTPB got within three after a kill by Sanchez and an attack error cut it to 7-5. The Bulldogs controlled the pace of the first set from there, taking it 25-20.
The Falcons opened the second set with the first three after a kill by Strambler, an ace from Allison and a service error to set the pace early. Southwestern Oklahoma eventually tied it at 5-5, but Strambler answered with another kill for a lead that held until 19-19. Like early in the set, the Falcons again pulled away with a 4-1 answer. Cassandra Rother, Sanchez and Grace Feddern started with a kill each. Magee then answered a Bulldog kill with one of her own to make it 23-20. An attack error put UTPB a point away before Strambler closed the door with a kill for a 25-21 win in set two.
Southwestern Oklahoma opened the third set with the first three and soon led 4-1. Maya Detwiler used a pair of aces and Strambler another kill for a 6-4 advantage. Both sides held leads in the middle of the set, but it was a 7-0 run by the Falcons that put them in control. It saw a kill each from Geurin, Mayce Baker and Magee, and some offensive stumbles from the Bulldogs for a 19-10 lead. UTPB commanded the remainder of the set, using a 6-2 finish for a 25-12 win.
Gillespie had the Falcons looking strong in the fourth with an ace to make it 7-4, but Southwestern Oklahoma was able to take the lead back with a 10-2 run. The Falcons were only able to get within a tie twice the rest of the way, falling 25-19 to set up a fifth and final set.
UTPB got out to an early 5-1 advantage with the help of kills from Strambler and Magee, and an ace from Doggett. Kaitlyn Bustamante later added an ace of her own as part of a 3-0 run for a 9-4 lead. The Bulldogs then took control, using an 8-0 answer for a 12-9 lead. The Falcons cut it to 12-11 kills from Rother and Gray, but Southwestern Oklahoma took the set and match by a 15-11 final.
Strambler's game-high 13 kills came with six digs and two blocks.
Magee finished with 12 kills and a team-high five total blocks.
Doggett again was tops in digs, matching a game-best 11.
Alcoser had a team-high 22 assists. Detwiler added 19 and matched Rother for a game-best three aces.
The Falcons next travel to Dallas for a clash with Arkansas Fort Smith at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 8. Download the UTPB Athletics App to follow the team all season long.
